A World Long Lost to Humankind
by AfriKat
Summary: Rico alerts the others that he senses another creature in the park outside of the zoo. The team goes out in search of this stranger in hopes of capturing and questioning them. Who they find will take them on an unexpected journey to a place that no one, human or animal, has ever dreamed of discovering. Completed. :)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Mammalian Disturbance

Plain. Just a plain and average day in New York City. The sun was bright, the air was dense, and there were a few puffy clouds. It was mid-morning on an August day, and nothing special had been planned. Skipper emerged from HQ, squinting in the light.

"All clear!" He announced to the others below.

Kowalski ascended first, followed by Private.

"Private!" Skipper turned to him.

"Yes, Skippa?" Private asked respectfully.

Skipper was about to say something, but then noticed one of them was missing. "Where's Rico?"

Rico's head emerged from under the fish dish, growling slightly.

"What is it, Rico?" Private asked, rather concerned.

"I believe he senses a mild form of disturbance." Kowalski stated. "Mammalian, no doubt."

"Badgers?!" Private took shelter behind Skipper.

"Stand strong, soldier!" Skipper exclaimed.

"Is it badgers, Rico?" Private asked timidly.

"Uh-uh." Rico shook his head and pointed in the direction of the park.

"There are badgers in the park?!" Private quickly became hysterical, "No! What will we do? We could never survive a badger attack! And," he shrieked, "They'll steal my lollies!"

"PRIVATE!" Skipper slapped him.

"Thank you, Skippa." Private rubbed his cheek.

"According to my calculations," Kowalski took out his abacus, "Rico is trying to tell us is trying to tell us that there is an unknown animal, possibly mammalian, on the northeast side of the park. Also known as an UMITP."

All of the penguins looked confused.

Kowalski huffed. "An Unidentified Mammal In The Park."

Skipper cocked his left eyebrow. "Honestly, Kowalski, is there really a need to give everything an acronym?"

"It makes things easier for my notes." Kowalski lifted up his notepad.

"Ahh!" Rico interrupted urgently, hurriedly pointing both flippers towards the park.

"Lead the way, Rico!" Private chimed.

Through the zoo they strolled, waiting for Rico to pick up a good scent. Finally, he did, and led them into the park.

"Is it reptilian?" Kowalski inquired, jotting down notes. "Amphibian? The possibility of giraffidae?"

"Eh?" Rico was confused at 'giraffidae'.

"Mammalian, then?"

"Yep, uh-huh." Rico nodded vigorously. He continued to lead them until they reached an unusual dark patch of trees.

"Skippa," Private looked about, "I don't remember this being here."

"Kowalski! Analyze this new addition to our territory!" Skipper commanded.

"Actually, Skipper," Kowalski flipped through the notepad, "This _has_ been here."


	2. Chapter 2: Feline Eyes

**I decided to post a second chapter, and also I forgot to add author's notes the first time.. I wrote this fanfic about five years ago for my little cousin, and now I want to share it with the world. I hope you like it! Reviews are appreciated. **

Chapter 2: Feline Eyes

"Since when?" Skipper questioned him. "We've surveyed this park hundreds of times!"

"Actually, it's only been 75.5 times, by my count." Kowalski replied.

"How can it be .5?" Skipper asked.

Kowalski tapped his pencil on his beak. "Well, we only made it halfway one time, as we had to go back on account of your, erm, indigestion issues with salty kippers."

Private snorted childishly.

"Alright then," Skipper changed the subject, "Rico, is it in here?"

"Mm-hmm." Rico sniffed a bit in the direction of the trees.

"I'll be on point." Skipper began giving instructions. "Kowalski, go with Rico. Private, you'll be with me. Whatever it is, we're going to track it down and... Rico, you know what to do."

Rico laughed and regurgitated a blow torch.

"Wrong!" Skipper barked.

Rico looked disappointed.

"Just bind it and bring it back here if you find it first." Skipper told Kowalski.

"And... onward, Rico!" Kowalski held out his sardine can radar system in front of himself. A red dot blinked on the screen, showing their potential captive.

Skipper began going in a different direction. "This way, Private." He circled around a large oak and proceeded into the patch.

Private gulped and followed reluctantly.

"The indicated target is fewer than thirty paces from us." Kowalski watched the red dot.

Rico was sniffing on the ground like a dog.

"To the north?" Kowalski said in a puzzled half-question, half-statement way.

Rico looked at him and shrugged.

Then they heard a soft sound. A melodic sound; humming and a few words in an unknown language. Kowalski and Rico crinkled their eyebrows at first, and then the humming smoothed out and became a little louder.

"Just follow the voice." Kowalski practically mumbled, transfixed by the calming song. Rico twitched, but he followed anyway. They walked until the voice nearly above them. The leaves in the tree to their left rustled slightly.

"Look.. up.. slowly." Kowalski told Rico.

They lifted their heads and through a narrow slit in the leaves, saw two glittering green eyes. They were beautiful; shaped like a cats and tilted up in the corners, like they were smiling,

The UMITP batted its eyes, and Kowalski and Rico noticed the lashes.

"Whoa." Rico said.

They could tell she smiled, because the eyes narrowed in a way to indicate so.

"Was that you singing?" Kowalski asked softly, so as not to frighten her.

The eyes moved up a bit, showing a slight nod. "Yes." Her voice was so silken and pleasant it took Kowalski off guard.

"Kowalski! Rico! Status report!" Skipper shouted, coming towards them noisily.

Green Eyes gasped and retreated into the foliage.

"Wait!" Kowalski called. "Come back."


	3. Unveiling

**Chapter 3: Unveiling **

"I'm right here, Kowalski," Skipper was annoyed that they had yet to find the creature. "What do you-"

"Shh! You'll frighten her more." Kowalski whispered.

"Kowalski!" Skipper was louder still, "Since when do you tell your commanding officer to- wait. I'll scare _her_?"

Kowalski nodded. "There is someone in that tree."

"On our turf?" Female or not, Skipper was not feeling welcoming. He turned to the tree where she was. "Listen, you! You're in an undesignated area and-"

"Skipper?" Kowalski was trying not to be rude, "Let me do the talking. She was speaking to me earlier."

Skipper looked perturbed, but nodded his approval anyway.

"Uh, um," Kowalski cleared his throat, "Green Eyes? Would you please come out again?"

"Don't forget about binding her." Skipper said out of the corner of his mouth.

Kowalski ignored him.

Green Eyes began to speak to them angrily in a language they had never heard.

"We don't speak-" Kowalski began to say.

"_Parlez vous Francais_?" She asked a little more calmly.

"No."

"Just English, then?" Her accent was lilting but she no doubt was fluent in each of these languages.

"No, uh, I mean, yes." Kowalski did not understand why he was having such trouble with words. They were his forte.

"Can I trust you?" She asked a moment later.

"Yes, you can." Skipper assured her, his unwelcoming nature melting slightly.

There was a bit of rustling. "And it is just you four?"

"Yes, only us." Private piped up.

There was some more rustling in the shadows and now they could see the green eyes. It was Skipper and Private's turn to be awed.

"Come on." Kowalski urged her quietly.

Slowly, she emerged, the light enveloping her as though it drew her from the darkness.

"Green Eyes?" Kowalski said faintly.

She was as beautiful as her eyes. Colored like a fox with reddish auburn fur with solid black markings going from her paws to just past her elbows and from her feet to mid-thigh, and a splash of white over her chest and stomach. Her ears were black as well, and pierced thrice in a row; golden hoops in the lower piercing, rubies in the middle, and tiny emeralds at the top. Her fox-like tail hung near her left leg. Then Skipper noticed something that they had all been too stunned to notice at first; she had something in common with a certain neighbor whose racket disturbed them day and night. She was a lemur.

Her beauty may have distracted them but now they all saw. Rico wolf-whistled anyway. Green Eyes smiled a bit at that.

"Who are you?" Skipper began to approach her.

Green Eyes stayed put, her eyes locked on his. "I am Isobel." She paused for a moment, knowing Skipper wanted more info. "I am from a world long lost to the eyes of human kind."

**Author's notes: Isobel, along with a couple of other characters who appear later, is my original character. But the penguins and original lemurs and such all belong to DreamWorks :)**


	4. Vanishing Act

Chapter 4: Vanishing Act

"A world long lost to humankind?" Skipper narrowed his eyes in a questioning way.

Isobel nodded. "This is why my language is so different from yours. My peoples' millennia of separation from the rest of the world have preserved what we've always had."

"But how?" Kowalski was amazed. He began taking notes vigorously. "Lemurs are only native to Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world."

"Not all of us." Isobel replied. Her hoop earrings swayed slightly when she shook her head.

"But how did you get here, to Central Park?" Private asked curiously. "Did you end up in a zoo and escape?"

Isobel's eyes grew wide. "A zoo! I could never stay behind walls."

"Why not?" Skipper was becoming wary again.

Isobel looked away and quietly said, "Gypsies do not do well behind walls."

"A what?" Skipper's eyes flew open.

Isobel gasped, suddenly frightened. "I have said too much!" She pulled a red cloak from behind the tree and hurriedly wrapped it around herself. It swirled, and she was gone. Only the cloak remained.

All of the penguins looked on in awe and horror.

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"Well, Kowalski," They were back at headquarters. Kowalski was testing the cloak and Skipper was questioning him. "Found anything yet?"

"Nothing." Kowalski took off his lab goggles and leaned on his work table.

"She was very pretty." Private was more speaking to himself than to the others. "She seemed nice. But that vanishing act was rather frightening!"

Rico sighed glumly and rested his head on his flipper.

"All I want to know is where she came from." Skipper said coarsely, his flippers behind his back. "And how and why she disappeared like that."

"It's physically and mathematically impossible for a mammal to just, well, evaporate into thin air." Kowalski stated. "That is, until I get my Molecular Separator working."

"Black magic!" Skipper banged a fist on the table.

"What, Skippa?" Private looked to his leader.

"It's the only answer." Skipper was becoming irrational. "She must be a witch. Or worse yet, a space squid."

"She's too pretty to be a witch." Private pointed out.

"That's exactly what I said about a Cajun crocodile back in Baton Rouge." Skipper leaned down to Private's face. "The next day, half of the recruit was gone! They also stole my Swiss knife... but that's not the point. I declare we all steer clear of this new comer."

"Skipper, I think we should still speak to her." Kowalski flipped through his notes. "She may give us more insight on this 'world' she comes from. Also, I noticed something else unusual about her when she spoke."

"What was it?" Skipper asked.

"Fangs." Kowalski said darkly. "Feline fangs. Possibly snake. She is no ordinary lemur."

"Vampire lemur!" Private shrieked.

Kowalski leaned his head back. "Ugh. No, Private, she is not a blood thirsty species. I think."


	5. Red Cloth

Chapter 5: Red Cloth

"Either way, you are all to keep your distance from her." Skipper's decision was final. "You're with me too, right, Rico?"

"Nope." Rico shook his head and crossed his flippers.

"Rico!" Skipper was shocked. "You're revolting? I should court martial all of you for insubordination. But, anyway, I doubt that we'll see her again. Let's just try to stay occupied."

They continued their work, coming up with theories and helping Kowalski test the cloak.

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"Can I touch toes?" Mort asked his king, hopeful.

"No, Mort!" Julien was adamant. "No part of my royal feets are to be even breathed upon by you."

Mort thought for a moment. "Can I stare at them?"

Julien pondered this. "Alright. You may stare. But only for a moment."

Mort grinned and stared delightedly at Julien's feet. He could see them getting larger in his vision. Closer…closer…nearly there-

"Ooph!" He fell flat on his face.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Julien wagged a finger at him. "You are a sneaky little monkey! The feet are now totally off limit even for your eyes."

Maurice was leaning back on his hands in a pool of shade. "I hate to complain, Your Majesty, but it's hotter than a frying pan out here!"

"Yes, this is true." Julien tapped his fingers on his chin. "You could fry an egg out here. Mort! Fetch me an egg!"

"Ringtail!" Skipper climbed atop the lion column. The other penguins were following him.

"Do you have my egg?" Julien asked excitedly.

Skipper raised an eyebrow. "Anyways, we came here to ask if you'd seen anything…suspicious around here."

Julien put his fingers together. "Eh, no, we haven't. Maurice…have…suspicious?"

Maurice thought for a moment and then shook his head. "Not around here."

"Oh, I have!" Mort jumped up and down, waving his hand.

"Well spit it out, Sad Eyes!" Skipper demanded.

"Oh." Mort suddenly made himself small, suddenly disappointed that he could not share his 'suspicious sighting'. "She told me not to tell anybody."

"Who?!" Skipper picked him up and shook him. "Who was it?"

"Okay, okay, I tell!" Mort said, getting very dizzy.

Skipper set him down. Mort wobbled for a moment and shook his head. He took a deep breath and said, "Earlier, when I was over there…right there…I was watching the park…you know, that park…And there were so many butterflies! And I saw birdies and_"

"Get on with it, Sad Eyes!" Skipper tapped his webbed foot, becoming impatient.

"Oh, right!" Mort was back on track. "I was watching the birdies and the butterflies, and I saw something. Like a bit of red. Like a uuuhhhhmmm…"

"Like cloth?" Kowalski prompted.

"Yeah!" Mort agreed. But only for a second.

"What is all this talk about red cloth?" Julien was curious now.

"Nothing." Skipper shook his head. "Just always keep on the high alert."


	6. Explaining

**Author's notes: Reviews, anyone? I'd like to know what everyone thinks. Also thank you, Treemist, for your review earlier :)**

Chapter 6: Explaining

The penguins slinked away under Skipper's command.

"What did he mean by 'stay on the high alert'?" Maurice asked.

Julien shrugged. "_Tsk_. Who is knowing with that one?"

Four heads popped back up. "Wait a second, Sad Eyes," Skipper said, "If you saw her all the way out in the park while you were right here, then how did you hear her?"

Mort was confused for a moment. "Oh! Well I heard a girl voice in my head saying to please not tell anyone I saw her."

"Kowalski," Skipper turned to the scientist, "How is that possible?"

"Hearing a female's voice inside your head is an abnormal occurrence." Kowalski stated. "Unless of course it is your own voice."

Skipper nodded in agreement. He turned back to Mort. "You sure you didn't imagine this?"

"I'm sure." Mort said.

"Wait, I'm lost." Maurice stood up and walked over to the penguins. "Who exactly are we talking about?"

"Listen," Skipper said to the trio, "Why don't you all come down to headquarters and we can sort this thing out."

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"Well, Skipper, I've run all the tests I can on Mort's brain, and it appears that he is not delusional as you thought." Kowalski said back at HQ. He had placed his mind testing metal hat on Mort.

"So what have you come up with then?" Skipper was pacing back and forth, flippers folded behind his back.

"It was all real." Kowalski said. "But this is all utterly irrational! I don't know how we'll solve this one. In other words, we are in quite a pickle."

"I like pickles!" Mort looked excited, then clueless. "What's a pickle?"

"So who are we talking about?" Maurice patiently asked again.

"Why are we so wrapped up in this?" Skipper sat down, not hearing Maurice.

"We have our reasons." Kowalski said, adjusting the mind tester with a screw driver.

"Yes, but why?" Skipper was talking more to himself than to Kowalski at this point.

"So, um, may I ask once more," Maurice piped up, "Who in the heck are we talking about?"

Skipper came back from his thoughts. "Alright, we'll tell you. Say, where's Ringtail?"

"Over here." Julien waved at him from the corner he was huddled in. His eyes looked rather sad and distant.

Skipper turned to Maurice. "What's gotten into him? Usually he'd so excited and hyped up I can't stand it. Now this is kinda bringing me down."

Maurice shrugged. "He's been having certain day where he's just…down. His energy and normal self just go away. He says the sky spirits have been sad about something too."

Skipper nodded and sighed. "Kowalski, you start. You and Rico saw her first."

Kowalski began his story. "When we first woke this morning, Rico seemed a bit uneasy. And when we came up to the surface, he became agitated and led us into the park and-"

"Ohh, is it that park wayyyy over there?" Mort interrupted.

Kowalski sighed irritably. "Yes, Mort, that one."

"Ohh, I like that one." Mort said.

"Shh! Let him finish, Mort." Maurice pushed him away.


	7. Explaining (Part II)

**Sorry there isn't a lot going on in these chapters. It's necessary dialogue. :p Don't worry, things will get much more interesting soon. **

Chapter 7: Explaining (part II)

Kowalski went on with his story. "And there is a rather dense and dark looking patch of deciduous trees. So Rico and I went one way and Skipper and Private went another way in search of the creature. So I was tracking the newcomer, and right above our craniums, we heard a rustling in the leaves."

Julien lifted his head. This was turning into an interesting story.

"We looked up with caution and saw-"

"Mangoes!" Mort clapped and laughed. "Did you see mangoes?"

"Quiet, Mort!" Julien shouted.

"We saw two bright green eyes." Kowalski continued. "They looked feline in shape, but they were not staring at us like a member of the _felidae_ family would look at its prey."

Julien walked over to where Maurice was sitting and crouched down beside him, listening intently.

"Hummin', hummin'!" Rico reminded Kowalski.

"Oh, yes, right." Kowalski nodded. "What actually led us to her was the voice. Humming, actually, and a few words in an unknown language. We followed that, and that's when we saw the eyes. I asked if it had been she who was singing, and in the warmest, most pleasant voice to echo off of my eardrums, she said 'Yes'. And then Skipper started shouting to find us and it scared her. Eventually we persuaded her out and she knew all of these languages and she-"

"She was absolutely lovely!" Private declared. "And she seemed nice as well."

Rico wolf whistled again, for effect. Maurice and Julien's eyes grew wide.

"But what we first failed to notice was what she was." Skipper continued for Kowalski. "It's what befuddled us the most, and the reason why we asked you three in particular if you'd seen anything suspicious. She was a lemur, just like Ringtail, except colored like a fox, and more Kowalski's height, you know, shorter than Ringtail."

"But why was she in the park?" Maurice asked.

"That's what we're trying to figure out. She said she had never been inside a zoo." Skipper said. "Something about gypsies."

"Wait," Now Julien spoke, "You saw a woman out there?"

"Yep." Skipper looked to him. "And there was something overtly suspicious and alluring about her. And then, beneath that red cloak, she vanished! And she said she wasn't even from Madagascar, which according to Kowalski, is the only place your kind comes from. I don't trust her for a second. She's a witch, I tell you!"

"I already told you, she can't be a witch." Private pointed out.

"They can mess with your mind." Skipper tapped his temples. "Just like space squids."

"Uhm, I've got a feeling that the girl you described is neither one of those." Maurice decided.

"We would have noticed someone like that back in de Madagascar, eh, Maurice?" Julien smiled and nudged his friend.


	8. An Unlikely Conversation

**It makes me really happy to write this story on here, as it means so much to me. I hope everyone is still liking it. :)**

Chapter 8: An Unlikely Conversation

"And we don't think the language was Malagasy in origin." Kowalski added.

"Well, what did it sound like?" Maurice asked.

"No guessing." Kowalski shrugged. "I am disappointed to say I don't know."

"This," Skipper picked up the red cloak. "Is what she disappeared in."

"Oh, that's it!" Mort jumped up and down. "That's what I saw! Well, something like that. It was smaller."

Ignoring Mort, Skipper continued. "Kowalski also said that he saw small fangs on her. Apparently not a vampire though."

"You can trust me on that one." Kowalski nodded.

"Exactly." Skipper agreed. "She's a witch."

Kowalski rolled his eyes and said, "If only we could see her once more. I – well, we – have so many questions for her."

"Oh, I certainly have a few." Skipper said. He grabbed his binoculars from the table. "I'm going on patrol."

He exited through the fish bowl.

"What's with the bossy penguin?" Julien asked Kowalski.

"He's always wanted to discover or rediscover a something before anyone else." Kowalski explained. "And he's got his hopes up a bit too high that Green Eyes is from a submerged world."

"Her name is Isobel, remember?" Private reminded him.

"Yes, yes, I know, Private." Kowalski said.

He abandoned his screw driver for a moment, and Mort snatched it up. "Ha ha! I has the metal tool thingy!"

"Mort, give that back!" Kowalski and Maurice yelled at him.

Mort ran around wildly, and Rico got to him first. He swallowed both him and the screw driver.

"Ooo, it's dark in here!" Came mort's muffled voice.

"Oh, jeez!" Kowalski threw his flippers up. "Maurice, Private, help me out here."

Julien decided to join Skipper up on the surface, and found the penguin staring aimlessly through his binoculars.

"So," Julien said, not starling Skipper in the least, "The smarty penguin tells me you have always wanted to find a new world of some sort."

"Yes." Skipper sounded distracted, not moving the binoculars. "That Kowalski, he knows me so well." He then looked down to the flowing water. "Haven't you ever wanted something terribly?"

Julien shook his head. "I have Maurice. And I have Mort…No, I take that back – I have Maurice, and I have that boomie box and other things. Sure, there is only the three of us around here." He sighed.

Skipper looked to him now. "You miss it, don't you? Madagascar, I mean."

Julien nodded, his head. His crown tipped, but instead of readjusting it, he took it off to look at it. "What's the point of being king when you have nothing to rule?"

Skipper raised an eyebrow. "Jeez, Ringtail, Maurice wasn't kidding when he said you have down days. And besides, you have the zoo."

Julien looked at him like he was crazy. "Ha! They hate my not-so-kingly guts!"

"Skipper was silent for a moment. "You know, Ringtail, when you're calm, you're actually not a bad lemur to talk to."

Julien half-smiled and shook his head. "You too." He chuckled.

And, quite unbelievably, Skipper laughed right along with him. And now he had something to add. "What Private said about the lady we found, he was right: absolutely lovely. Everyone here would have loved her. Maybe even you, Ringtail."

"Like I could ever get somebody like that." Julien said.

"But what about back in Madagascar?" Skipper furrowed his brow.

"Psh," Julien leaned back, putting on his crown, "Who wouldn't want to be around the king?"

"You got me there." Skipper said as he climbed back into HQ, Julien following.


	9. The Emptying of Rico's Stomach

Chapter 9: The Emptying of Rico's Stomach

"Okay, pull on three." Kowalski was standing in front of Rico, holding one of Mort's feet. Maurice was holding onto the other, and Private was standing behind Rico to make sure he didn't fall back.

"One…two…three!" They pulled and Rico regurgitated Mort and the screwdriver.

"Ugh." Skipper closed his eyes and shook his head. He had just come down into the HQ. "I won't ask."

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The lemurs left shortly after, and late night took its toll. The penguins sleepily crashed into their bunks. They were out like candles on a windy night.

"So, your majesty." Maurice asked on their walk back to their habitat. "I saw you left, so what'd you talk to Skipper about?"

"Oh, nothing of importance." No way was he going to tell him what he had told Skipper. "He mentioned the girl again."

"Why wouldn't he?" Maurice laughed.

"What's a pickle?" Mort asked again, remembering what Kowalski had said earlier.

Julien rolled his shoulders and then his eyes.

They reached their habitat. Julien jumped up onto his throne. "Maurice! See what is on that boomie box!"

Maurice flipped through multiple stations before finding something worth dancing to. They blared music and shined their multi-colored lights for a couple more hours into the night. They did not pull an all-nighter, as they were all tired and Julien was still a bit distracted.

Finally, Mort collapsed onto the bouncy. Normally he would have been kicked off, but no one was awake enough to do so.

"Good night, Maurice." Julien yawned. "You too, Mort."

"Good night, King Julien." Mort said sleepily.


	10. Seeing Isobel

Chapter 10: Seeing Isobel

**…****45 minutes earlier…**

The rhythmic music was pulsating all the way into the park. Cloaked in oxblood red, Isobel heard it. She twitched her ears, looking for the location. She was outside of her city at a late time; hours beyond her curfew. Such occurrences were common with her rebellious nature. She began to sway a bit to the music, feeling the cool grass beneath her feet, the breeze ruffling her cloak. A twig snapped behind her. She spun around instantly, claws slashing as she pinned her follower down to the ground. Her eyes flew open when she saw it was her friend from her city.

"Oh, it's you, Clopar." Isobel said, breathing hard from her previous fright.

"Jeez, calm down, Isobel. What's got you so defensive?" Clopar asked, his dark brown eyes narrowed slightly.

Now Isobel narrowed her emerald eyes. "You frightened me." She snapped. She let him up and they both stood. "What is it?"

"Your father told me to come get you, Princ-"

"Do not say that word!" Isobel clasped her paw over his mouth. "I hate being called that."

"But it's what you are." Clopar said, "You can't help what you were born into."

"I wasn't born into it." Isobel crossed her arms. "The king isn't my real father. He adopted me when my parents died."

"You're still a princess though, adopted or not." Clopar reminded her. "So you're still rare and important."

"All right, I'll come back with you." Isobel decided. "But I am coming back here tomorrow." She pulled her hood over her head. "Let's go."

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Morning came in a hurry, as though it couldn't wait to tell someone a secret. Skipper was the first to wake, and he looked at his team still sleeping and decided they were lazy sacks.

"Come to attention, men!" He commanded.

Everybody rolled out of their bunks, still groggy.

"Urrgh." Rico held his stomach. "Feeesh."

"Exactamundo, _compadre_." Skipper said. "It's waiting for us up above."

"Fiiiiiish!" Rico plummeted through the roof.

"Well, that's one way to get out." Kowalski stared at the gaping hole.

"Come on, men." Skipper climbed up the ladder.

The air was fresh, and the penguins' ample supply of fish was gone shortly. They were resting, bellies full, and a few minutes later, Rico was up on his feet, pointing to the park and verbalizing very excitedly.

"Isobel?" private asked him, hopeful.

"Uh-huh! Yep!" Rico jumped up and down.

"Well come on." Private and Rico were already walking, but then paused when they realized they hadn't gotten an okay from their leader.

"Is it okay, Skipper?" Kowalski asked.

"Okay?" Skipper pondered for a moment. A smile touched his beak. "Of course! Don't get left behind, Kowalski!"

They quickly caught up with Private and Rico. They walked across the park and back to the patch of trees they had been to before.

"I'll lead." Skipper said. "Everyone follow closely."

Even though they knew Isobel was in there, they had to be on the high alert at all times. And they still didn't know her or this new territory too well. Unknown territory rule number one: Never let your guard down.


	11. Reading of Talents

Chapter 11: Reading of Talents

Up in her perch, Isobel waited, knowing full well that they were not far.

"Look alive, men." She heard and saw Skipper just about to pass right underneath of her. "There could be danger at any-"

Isobel swung upside down and covered his eyes with her paws. "Guess who?"

Skipper sighed in relief. "I totally knew that you were up there." He tried to save face.

Isobel flipped down onto her feet and laughed, eyes, earrings, and smile glittering in the filtered sunlight. "Right."

"Isobel!" Private and Rico said excitedly.

"I wish I could greet you by name as well?" Isobel half-suggested.

"Oh, yes, well," Skipper cleared his throat, "I am Skipper, commanding officer of this-"

Kowalski cleared his throat, interrupting him.

"That's Kowalski, there's Private, and you can't miss Rico." Skipper finished quickly, a smirk on his face.

"Hmm…" Isobel walked a circle around each penguin. She stopped in front of Kowalski. "You are the smartest one here. A bit of a science fanatic, yes? Always working in the lab and taking notes of your surroundings?"

"Well…" Kowalski scraped his webbed foot across the ground bashfully.

Isobel grinned. "Not too many of you in my city."

She then stopped in front of Private. "I see.. a happy-go-lucky soul in you. You love crafts and know how to sew. Definitely not many of you where I'm from. But I mean that in the best way possible."

Private snickered, and Isobel moved onto Rico. She inhaled. "Rico, Rico, love explosives, mushy things make you sick, you also regurgitate things just because, you do not use the English language and you have a keen sense of smell."

"Spot on." Private remarked.

She then stood in front of Skipper, looking every bit as menacing as her, her pierced ears pricked forward. "You are the one who must always have order, you have an irrational fear of leopard seals – as do all of you. Oh, and Private, you have a fear of badgers. Anyway, Skipper, you love when things go your way, and-" she paused, furrowing her brow. "You hate lemurs?"

Skipper's eyes widened. "Only certain ones get on my nerves occasionally."

Isobel shook her head. "And you've always wanted to discover a lost world."

She smiled now. "Such a noble quest." And then she looked at him like he was nuts.

"What?" Skipper asked, not sure what she had missed.

"You believe in…space…squids?" Isobel crossed her arms.

"You can never be too careful." Skipper stuck with it.

Isobel nodded. "I see."

"How did you know all of that?" Kowalski was astounded.

She shrugged, lowering her eyes humbly. "This is a gift."

They did not understand, but not much had made any sense these last couple of days, so they accepted that.

"Well, come on." Isobel said, walking further in the dark patch.

"Uh, shouldn't you come with us?" Skipper said, growing suspicious.

"Not today, Skipper." Isobel replied. "You come with me today."


	12. Surprise Attack

Chapter 12: Surprise Attack

Reluctantly, they followed. Isobel stopped and turned her head. "Oh, and don't go into a full out brawl if you hear something. I'll know when it is serious."

"So when there's dangerous things around, what do you do?" Private asked as they continued walking.

"What do you mean?" Isobel glanced about. The trees rustled quietly in the steady and unseasonal breeze.

"You don't have anyone around to protect you?" Kowalski asked.

"I don't need anyone to protect me around here." Isobel said, her voice full of confidence. "I – how do you say it? – I've got it all under control."

"Hah! Skipper laughed. "Are you saying that you could beat us, an elite force, at anything?"

Private and Kowalski looked from Isobel to Skipper.

"Definitely." Isobel answered. "We'd have to set that up sometime."

"Why not now?" Skipper challenged.

"That's not a good way to start you morning, Skipper," Isobel shot back playfully, "Being beaten up first thing."

The other penguins "ooo"ed.

"You got served, Skipper!" Kowalski said, with added flipper motions.

Skipper gave him a look, and Kowalski cleared his throat, embarrassed. "I- I mean, nobody can beat Skipper."

"We will see." Isobel shook her head and laughed lightly. "Anyways, I will

Show you what I can today, and you will show me your world tomorrow."

"Agreed." Skipper nodded. "But wait – so you're on point?"

"Yes, Skipper, I am." Isobel knew he wasn't used to this, being led around. "But like I said, if I sense danger, I'll be letting you know."

The penguins followed her, all but Skipper trusting her to the fullest. He was moping a bit, but he was too excited for what she would show them to show it.

"So where are we going exactly?" Private asked Isobel.

"I wish I could show you my world, but father still needs a bit of convincing." Isobel said.

"What do you mean?" Skipper was curious now.

"The city belongs to him." Isobel knew what questions would come next.

"Wait, daddy's a king?" Skipper raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Isobel walked a bit closer to him. "But he isn't my real father, you see, he adopted me when my real parents died, when I was very young, about sixteen years ago or so. Many, including him, think of me as the princess. But I do not think of myself in that way. I am just a gypsy girl in this city." She felt a pain in her heart she had not felt for so long. It was the longing for her parents, for her real home.

"I am sorry about your parents." Private said sympathetically. "How old are you now?"

"I am nearly twenty." Isobel shook off the sudden emotion. "But the king is always watching out for me, always making sure I am – " She suddenly dove into the bushes, and the penguins heard a scuffle break out, with slaps and kicks of all sorts. Rico was ready to join in and protect his new friend. But Skipper held him back. "I think she's winning." He said.

"What…are you doing…following me everywhere I go?!" She demanded of whoever it was she was fighting between punches.

"I told you, it's my job!" Clopar shouted at her.

"Well either quit or you're getting your pink slip!" Isobel sounded absolutely furious, and the penguins sure were glad that they were not the ones fighting with her.


	13. Cobra Fangs

Chapter 13: Cobra Fangs

Isobel flew out of the bushes with Clopar. She pinned him to the ground like she had the night before. "I told you I'd come back."

Clopar snarled at her, and she snarled back, her fangs showing.

Kowalski gasped. "I knew she had fangs!" He had meant to say that to himself, but everyone heard.

Isobel looked to him, a glint of fury in her eyes. It disappeared when she stood up.

"Yes, I do. A lot of us do." Isobel explained.

"Are you a vampire?" Private asked timidly.

"Thank goodness no!" Clopar exclaimed and he glared at Isobel, also standing up.

"This is my _friend_, Clopar." Isobel introduced him to the penguins, looking at him the same way.

"It doesn't seem like he's your friend." Skipper looked this new lemur up and down suspiciously.

"Well, he's not supposed to be following me." Isobel said.

"Actually, I am." Clopar stepped forward to the penguins. "As said before, I'm Clopar. And you are?"

"Skipper." Skipper eyed him warily.

Clopar's eyes narrowed slightly for a moment. "Your mind is foggy. Are you troubled?"

Isobel scoffed. "You know what's foggy? Your mind reading skills."

"All of you read minds?" Kowalski asked.

"No, only the gifted." Clopar threw the blue cloak he had with him over Isobel, covering her head with the hood. "Leave your hood on, would you? Anyone could see you out here."

"Quit being paranoid." Isobel rolled her eyes and flipped the hood down.

"I'm fine right now." She checked the backs of her earrings.

"I'm staying up in that tree." Clopar indicated a basic direction. "And I'll wait for you to come back."

"Fine." Isobel agreed. "Here, take my cloak."

Clopar jumped into the branches, poised.

Isobel and the penguins continued their walk.

"I'm sure you have more questions now." Isobel said quietly. "So I'll answer them. Kowalski, you first."

"Yes!" Kowalski punched the air victoriously. "The fangs; why is it you have developed fangs?"

"Well, I am a shape shifter." Isobel sounded as though she had answered this question many times before. "I can shift into a cobra. Would you like to see?"

The penguins paused, reluctant. Then they agreed.

Isobel stopped walking, and within seconds, she had shifted into a white cobra. Natural fear clenched their hearts; they had never seen anything like this. The cobra had Isobel's eyes, little golden hoops in the flared hood, and her fangs. Isobel opened her jaws wide, weaving a bit. And, just as quickly, she shifted back to her normal state. "I just have smaller fangs when I am myself. They are quite useful, actually."

"You know," Skipper said a few moments later, "We truly have never met anyone like you."

Isobel laughed, looking away. They didn't catch the emotions suddenly welling in her eyes. "I take that as a tremendous compliment."

"By all means." Skipper smiled.

"It's great having friends like you four." Isobel said, looking to all of them. "I am surprised at how well you have taken all of this. You still wanted to see me even after I disappeared so suddenly on you."

"Of course." Private said thoughtfully. "We figured you couldn't be all that bad. You were just scared. We all get scared."

Rico was starting to feel queasy at all this mush talk.

Isobel noticed and she smiled. "Sorry, Rico. Oh, and Skipper, I could still beat you in a fight."

"I still doubt that." Skipper crossed his flippers, grinning a bit.

"Well let's go then." Isobel threatened cheerfully. "Right here, right now."


	14. Skipper VS Isobel

Chapter 14: Skipper VS Isobel

"Alright, you asked for it." Skipper laughed at the ridiculousness of battling a princess.

"You ready?" Isobel grinned. The others backed away, leaving room for them.

"Sure." Skipper was getting cocky. "I'll go easy –"

Isobel launched herself at Skipper, easily pinning him.

"Hey!" Skipper said in surprise. "I wasn't ready."

"You said you were!" Isobel laughed as she let him up. "And don't go easy on me, because I won't go easy on you."

"You don't have to!" Skipper readied himself now.

Isobel readied herself as well. She looked to be a worthy opponent, her trickster eyes burning with glee and strength.

Kowalski announced when they would start. "One…two…three…Go!"

Skipper lunged first, Isobel sashaying out of his way. He turned back round, and she ducked down, kicking her leg out and tripping Skipper. She used her elbow to slug his back (but certainly not as hard as she could), bringing him all the way down to the ground.

The others cheered for her.

Isobel laid on the grass on her stomach, looking Skipper in the eyes. She was smiling. "You see?"

Skipper was stubborn. He bounced back up. "Rematch!"

Isobel jumped up as well, intrigued by this foolish penguin. They went again. This time, Skipper did not instantly lunge. Instead, they circled each other for a moment. When Isobel lunged out with her arms, Skipper caught them, twisting them behind her back a bit. Isobel grabbed his flippers with her hands, using this as leverage to flip over and behind him. And now she twisted his flippers behind his back. Though he was strong and quick, she was agile and tricky. They fought back and forth a few more times. The late afternoon sun beat ceaselessly through an opening in the canopy of trees, causing Skipper to break out in a sweat. Isobel seemed unfazed. It all ended with Isobel sitting on Skipper's back. She crossed her legs and her arms, smiling victoriously. Rico regurgitated a camera and handed it quietly to Private. Private snapped a quick pic while he and Kowalski giggled silently at this sight of their leader being completely defeated by a lemur princess. Private gave the camera back to Rico and he swallowed it.

"Had enough, Skipper?" Isobel looked down at him.

Skipper sighed grumpily. "Enough. You win." He grumbled.

"What?" Isobel cupped her ear, teasing him. "Only the bugs in the grass heard you."

"You win, you win!" Skipper announced much more loudly.

"Mmhmm." Isobel smiled as she stood up. She helped Skipper up. "You alright?"

Skipper's anger shifted to amusement. "Amazing! I didn't know lemurs could be so skilled in anything other than dancing."

Isobel laughed. "We are good at that too."

"That was amazing, Isobel!" Private threw his flippers up.

"Truly an amazing feat of stealth and agility." Kowalski agreed.

"Thank you." Isobel's voice was languid, humble. "I learned these things young."

"Where exactly are you from?" Skipper asked.

"I gave you a riddle, now you must figure it out." Isobel was endlessly mysterious.

"Long lost to the human eye?" Kowalski tapped his beak. "It is quite an advanced riddle."

"The Bermuda Triangle!" Private took a swing at it.

"Not quite." Isobel shook her head. She realized they would never get it. "Kowalski, do you have paper?"

Kowalski tore a page from his notebook, and handed her a pencil.

She began folding the paper. "Oh, there is another clue, you see?" She pointed behind them.

They all turned. "I don't see-" Skipper turned back around, but Isobel was nowhere to be seen. The folded piece of paper fluttered down from the tree. Skipper picked it up and unfolded it. It read one word. A word that had echoed through time, a word that had danced in the imaginations of scholars and explorers and conquistadors alike: Atlantis.


	15. Following Isobel

Chapter 15: Following Isobel

"Get up, you lazies!" Julien ordered Mort and Maurice.

"But it's too hot." Mort whined.

"Yeah, your majesty, we've been dancing since we woke up." Maurice agreed.

"Oh, what's a little five hours of vigorous dancing in the boiling sun going to do to you?" Julien crossed his arms.

"Uhm…" Maurice said. "Make me sick with heat exhaustion!"

"Fine then!" Julien turned away. "Just go back to sleep then."

Mort and Maurice were already napping in the shade.

Julien sighed and went to sit on his throne. He was utterly bored. He saw the penguins walking back from the park. They seemed to be arguing, but it didn't matter to him. Before long, he rested his head on his hand and drifted off to sleep.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

About an hour later, Julien's eyes blinked open. The others were still sleeping. He stretched, and something in the distance, in the park, caught his eyes. It was red and flowing, like the cloth Mort had described. He leaned forward, and saw that it was the girl the penguins had described. She was dancing fluidly as she walked with the cloth. He turned his head this way and that, until curiosity overwhelmed him, and he jumped off his throne and out of the habitat altogether. He knew how to get out of the zoo and into the park. He slinked into the park, and saw a final glimpse of red. He followed it. And the closer he got, the more he could see her. She sure was something. Everything Private and Skipper had said. Suddenly, she stopped and swiveled her ears. She no doubt had heard him. He ducked behind a tree and stayed there until she continued on. Her earrings glittered in the sun. Julien sprinted from tree to tree, catching short glances of her. Eventually, she stopped again, in front of an old tree. She used her silken cloth to cover her ears, and it flowed down to her waist. She looked about again, and then knocked on the tree three times.

_What? _Julien was confused. _This woman is crazy. _

Then a section of the tree slid open, like an elevator. A pole, much like those at fire stations, was all that was to be seen inside the hollow tree. The girl reached out to the pole, and twisted her way down it, vanishing from sight.

Julien's eyes widened. He crept forward cautiously, staring down the pole. It was dark nothingness. He gulped, but curiosity got the best of him, and he too went down into the darkness. He closed his eyes tightly, and eventually his feet touched solid ground.


	16. The City Square

Chapter 16: The City Square

He opened his eyes and saw a beam of light that crept into the dark crevice. He followed that, and when he stepped into it, a vast and ancient city unfolded before him. It was full of life, and others like him, of all different sizes and color variations. There were men discussing ancient tales and laughing over shared jokes, women young and old carrying baskets of fruit, and many other groups. Julien was astounded. He had not seen this many of his own kind since leaving Madagascar. Without thinking, he walked into the buried sea of peoples. He saw some people grouped around a few others. He went over, wondering they were all gathered for. The people in the middle of the crowd were obviously the center of attention. Whispers shuffled throughout the crowd. The people in the middle began shifting into snakes. This frightened some in the crowd, but none so much as Julien. He stepped back a bit too many spaces and bumped into someone. It was an old beggar who gave him the stink eyes and continued on his way, mumbling to himself. Julien shook his head, and looked a fair distance away. And there, amongst other people, was the girl. She looked stunning, caught by the sunlight which somehow entered into this submerged world. The red cloth still covered her ears. Someone made her laugh, and Julien saw her gorgeous smile, the smile that made you want to laugh for no reason. A few people walked in front of her, and she was there no longer.

Julien's eyes went wide, and he took another step back. He bumped into someone else.

"Oh, sorry, I…" The person said and they turned at the same time to look at each other.

Julien saw that it was her. Her bright eyes gleamed as they locked onto his. What was her name?

"You were just…How did?" Julien pointed in the direction she had just been, half confused and half dazed.

The girl smiled mysteriously, her eyes softening. "You're not from here, are you?"

"How can you tell?" Julien asked. He felt so nervous.

She pointed to his head. Julien looked up. "What? My crown?"

She nodded. "You must think pretty highly of yourself to wear a crown."

Julien felt defensive now. "Well I am a king! And all kings must have a crown."

"That may be." She agreed. "But I find it hard to believe that you are a king."

"And why are you finding it hard to believe?" Julien was every bit as stubborn as she was, and he crossed his arms.

"Well a king would not just waltz into another kingdom without announcement." She began, a hint of a smile on her face. She liked this newcomer. "And I think a king would apologize for bumping into someone."

Julien narrowed his eyes slightly. But how could he stay mad at this beautiful girl with her mile-long eyelashes and pearly smile?

He sighed and uncrossed his arms and sighed. "Fine! You win. My bad."

The girl relaxed. "My name is Isobel. And yours?"

Julien was lost for a moment. Usually Maurice was there to formally introduce him. "King Julien. Uh, the thirteenth."


	17. Atlantis

Chapter 17: Atlantis

Isobel smiled a bit. She found his uncertainty almost charming. "So you're from up above?"

"Yes, and, where in the heck are we?" Julien glanced around.

"We're about 180 feet below the surface." Isobel explained, removing the scarf from her ears. "And you are in the city of Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Julien asked. He looked at her earrings. Being royal, he knew that the gems and gold in her ears belonged to those of noble status. "Never heard of it."

"Really?" Isobel was intrigued. "So many people have tried to find us. But…how did you find your way here?"

Julien was nervous again. He had followed her, and he figured she would not like to hear that. "Well, uhm…You see…"

Isobel tilted her head, knowing full well how he found his way. "Why did you follow me?"

Julien's eyes darted around. "Well…You are a very pretty lady. And I saw you while I was sitting on my royal throne. I…I wanted to meet you."

Isobel lifted her chin a bit and took a deep breath. "You are lucky my friend was not with me." She was referring to Clopar, but of course Julien did not know this. "Anyways, since you are already here, I will take you around the city." She began to walk past him. He looked over his shoulder at he and then swiveled around on his heel. "Where are we going?"

"Hmm." Isobel smiled. "You ask many questions. My city can be hospitable to strangers. Rarely, but maybe to you. It's only a tour."

"Okay then." Julien caught up with her.

"I think we should avoid the Inner City." Isobel said softly.

"For why?" Julien asked. His gaze was distracted by all that was happening around him. The odd fruits and the shimmering cloth being sold by street vendors and just simply everything. And, most of all, by Isobel.

"For reasons." Isobel shrugged. "Instead we'll go to the seaport."

"The what?"

"Oh, just come on!" Isobel began to pull him along.

Julien opened his mouth, wanting to say something about not being touched by peasants. But he truly had no idea what she was, and peasant or not, he sure didn't mind the feel of her paw on his arm.

There may have been vast amounts of people in the Square, but the further away they got, the less there were. They went down a few winding steps covered in lichens. Isobel pointed out everything along the way, and Julien was listening to every word she said.

"I've only been to the surface a few times." Isobel said. "What's it like up above?"

"Well, it's…surface-y? We have the park. And the trees." Julien did not really know how to answer this question.

"I know all that." Isobel laughed. "What is your city like? All I know is that we share the same sun, moon, and stars."

"The city is…Well, truth being told, I have not been there long either." Julien admitted.

Isobel nodded. "You're from Madagascar. Your accent is very strong."

Julien looked to her. "Yes. You know, we have crazy dance parties here, like we had at home."

"I'm assuming all hours of the night?" Isobel guessed.

"Yes!" Julien smiled. "We have the lights and we turn up the music loud. So loud in fact that I have busted three boomie boxes already."

Isobel smiled. So that was the music she had heard that night in the park.

Before long, the scent of brine and varnished wood reached their noses. Rows and rows of pirate-like ships were docked in the harbor.

"This is the Atlantean Seaport." Isobel waved her arm out across the expanse.

"Good afternoon to you!" A call came from the sails of one marvelous ship in particular.

**Author's Notes: We're finally getting to the good parts. :) Well, I hope you think so, at least. :p also, thank you for the continuous reviews. :) It's nice to be supported. **


	18. Captain Jack Starling

Chapter 18: Captain Jack Starling

Julien and Isobel looked up the golden sails of a ship by the name of the _Conquistadora_. They saw another lemur decked out in a tricorn hat, leather boots, and a sword strapped round his waist. He was hanging onto the sail ropes.

Isobel waved happily. "And good afternoon to you, Jack Starling!"

"Who's that?" Julien asked.

"An old friend." Isobel said, smiling. "Come down here!" She called to her friend.

Captain Starling scaled down from the sails in an impressive fashion. He climbed down from the deck and onto the port. He stood there and smiled. Isobel laughed and ran to him. He caught her and swung her for a moment, and then let her feet touch the ground.

"It's so good to see you." Isobel told him.

"And you as well." Jack said. He did look happy to see her. Julien wasn't liking this.

"How was London?" Isobel asked.

"Same as always." Jack sighed dramatically. "Mum's disappointed; has a sailor for a son. Still doesn't believe I take port in this place! She says if I bring up 'Atlantis' one more time in front of her friends she'll be the laughing stock of her sewing circle."

Isobel laughed, and Julien stepped forward to the pair of old friends.

"And who might this be?" Jack asked Isobel, looking at Julien. Jack seemed friendly, his eyes full of adventurous fire and his smile bright.

"Oh, yes, this is Julien," Isobel explained. "_King _Julien. The thirteenth. He's from up above."

Jack held out his hand. Julien stared for a moment. He didn't understand. And then it clicked in his brain that he was supposed to shake Jack's hand; it was a thing peasants did. But he didn't want to upset Isobel, so he shook Jack's hand tentatively. He gave him a once over: rusty fur, hazel eyes, the same height as him…

_And a total show off. _Julien thought.

"I've only met two kings in my life," Jack said, "You, and this lass' father."

"He's not my father." Isobel corrected him. She did love the king as a father, but she didn't want people making the mistake of thinking she was royalty.

"Ah, it doesn't matter." Jack waved her off. "You could easily be mistaken for a king's daughter."

"So, where to next?" Julien was eager to lose Jack.

"Julien," Isobel was a little shocked. "He just got back. I can't leave him."

"Oh, it's fine." Jack took off his hat to re-shape it. "I've got some cargo to unload anyway. And hey, Isobel, our friends Fivor and Maze are on the ship next to me. Maze just had her baby this morning; he looks just like Fivor."

"I'll go see them then." Isobel looked to Julien. "I'll be back. Jack will keep you company."

She hurried off to the next ship to greet her old friends.

Jack put his hat back on and Julien spun around to him. "So, you two are just the old friends?"

Jack's eyes widened. "Daisy sprouts! Of course. We've known each other so long, she's like my sister. So no worries then, mate?"

Julien relaxed and nodded. "No. No worries."

**Author's notes: Sorry if this chapter was kinda dry. I had to introduce Jack. Continuing reviews are much appreciated. ****J**


	19. The Harbor is Full

Chapter 19: The Harbor Is Full

"So Isobel says you're from the above world." Jack said.

"Yes," Julien didn't understand why everyone was so interested in this, "Why is this of so much importance?"

"Oh, it's not really." Jack clasped his hands behind his back. "Just wondering how you got here. Everyone thinks Isobel's been up there a few too many times. Clopar's been busting his tail making sure she comes back."

"How many guy friends is she having?" Julien asked exasperatedly.

Jack's mouth turned up in a small smile. "Oh, just Clopar and I. But Clopar is more of a king's assistant than her friend. When she goes out, he annoys her too much."

That satisfied Julien. "She sure is something." He mumbled.

"What?" Jack's eyes gleamed with a smile.

Julien realized he had heard him. "Oh, I said nothing! Just the ramblings."

"That's quite the accent you've got." Jack observed, his own British accent quite a rarity in a place like this.

"That's what Isobel said." Julien said.

"What I said about what?" Isobel was right behind them.

_How does she do that? _Julien wondered.

"Told you he looks just like Fivor." Jack didn't seem fazed by Isobel's sudden appearance.

Isobel agreed, and Jack looked back to the _Conquistadora_. "I best be on my way!" And he climbed back onto the deck.

Isobel looked to Julien. "Sorry about that detour."

"Oh, it is nothing." Julien said nonchalantly.

"Hey, Iz!" Jack called down from his ship again. "The harbor is pretty full. Cover your ears with your veil. In fact, do you want me to walk you two to the edge?"

Isobel nodded, throwing on her scarf again. "Please do!"

Jack began climbing back down.

"What's wrong with this place being full?" Julien realized there were many strange things about this place.

"You'll see." Isobel sighed.

"Come on," Jack said softly to Isobel. "Walk in between us."

They began walking down the harbor, and Julien quickly understood why Jack was so worried.

Rough looking and sea voyaging men unloading ships or lowering sails began whistling and hollering to Isobel; they were trying to flatter her into handing over her priceless earrings.

"Come on there, m'lady, I can't leave on sailor's wages." One said smoothly.

"I didn't know they let dogs roam the ships!" Jack shouted back curtly.

Before long, the endless line of ships passed, and Isobel was safe.

"Now, I am really going." Jack said. "G'day you too!" And he disappeared into the slight mist of the harbor.


	20. King's Crown

Chapter 20: King's Crown

"Now I know what you mean." Julien said to Isobel.

Isobel took a quick glance around. She removed the cloth from around her ears. "Finally." She wound it into a ball and held it in her right hand. She flicked her wrist and opened up her hand; the cloth was gone.

"So, you know the penguins, right?" Julien eyed her hand.

"Yes," Isobel said, checking the backs of her earrings. "What about them?"

"They wanted to know how you do those things, like magic." Julien said quietly.

Isobel glared angrily at him. "Is that why you followed me here?"

"What? I – no!" Julien stammered.

"What's the matter with you?" Isobel looked heartbroken and mad.

"Nothing is wrong with me!" Julien was defensive. "Perhaps it is you who are wronging yourself!"

"That didn't even make sense!" Isobel threw her arms up. "I knew it. All of you are just another one of _them_."

"Another one of who?" Julien was nervous. He hadn't meant to make her angry.

"So called 'discoverers'." Isobel shot him an angry look. "You all say you want to learn culture and our ideas, but you are only gold hunters."

"Why would we ever want anything from here?" Julien shot back.

"This kingdom has been here so long! The treasure of a thousand years and a thousand worlds is here." Isobel explained.

"That's all _you _are! It's all you peasant gypsies do! Thieving from others when-" Julien never finished.

Isobel took a very well-aimed swing, and Julien's crown went flying off in a hurry, all the way back to the harbor.

Isobel whistled, and proclaimed loudly, "King's crown, king's crown in the harbor! Worth more than your wages!"

"You wouldn't." Julien glared at her.

"I just did." Isobel glared back at him. "So go and get it."

Julien was angry now too. "I don't take orders from-"

A few sailors were already surrounding it, and Julien made a mad dash. "It's mine! Mine, mine, mine!"

A few minutes later, Julien came back with his poor crown.

"Why would you do something so cruel?" Julien asked her.

Isobel pulled him down to her level, snarling at him. "Don't you ever say anything like that again. I swear I'll knock your head right off next time."


	21. An Understanding

Chapter 21: An Understanding

Julien wanted to reply with, "If you can be reaching my head!", but it finally clicked in his brain that there are some things better left unsaid. Isobel let him back up. She crossed her arms and took a step back, collecting herself. She took a breath. "I forgive you." A small smile quirked up the corners of her mouth. She knew deep inside that Julien and the penguins were not what she had said.

Julien relaxed as well. "So…where to now?"

"Back to the surface." Isobel decided. She pointed to a pathway around a bend.

Together, they walked towards the pathway. Isobel peeked down the way first, and then began walking up the slope. Julien followed, eyes darting.

There was silence for a bit, and then Isobel asked him, "So do you still want to know how I do those things?"

Julien nodded. "I suppose."

"It's the gypsy in my veins." Isobel was quiet. "My mother passed it down to me. She knew the ways of magic and transfiguration like I do. This is the best way I can explain it."

"Trans..tran..the thing." Julien said. "What do you mean?"

"I can change into a cobra." Isobel said.

"Just like in the city." Julien said under his breath.

"Yes, just like them."

"How did-" Julien was confused.

"Oh, yes." Isobel smiled. "And some of us are more 'feline' than cobra." She stretched out her hand, revealing small claws. "And the fangs, those are cobra. Venom and everything."

The continued walking. Julien discreetly checked his upper teeth, trying to see if he too had this trait. But they were flatter, just lemur teeth.

Finally, there was a stream of sunlight coming down from a tunnel above their heads. Julien and Isobel could see the trees in the park. The beginning of the tunnel was a couple feet above them.

"You can climb, right?" Isobel asked.

"Psh!" Julien seemed as though her question was unnecessary. "Can _I _climb? You are looking at the most expertest climber in all of New York!"

He jumped for it, and completely missed. He turned to Isobel and chuckled nervously. "Eh, hehe."

"Watch out." Isobel smirked. She lowered herself to the ground and aimed for the nearest ledge. She sprang up and caught it effortlessly. She climbed up a bit, and then looked back down, smiling triumphantly. The early evening sun grazed her ears. "Well, come on." Her voice was like it was when she first spoke to Kowalski.

Julien stared for a moment, and then shook his head. He jumped again, this time catching the ledge. He climbed up some more.

"Beatcha there!" He scaled past Isobel.

Isobel laughed. "Yeah, right!" And she scurried up.

At nearly the same time, they emerged from the tunnel and into the light. They were both laughing, their competitive sides flaring up a bit at the fact that they had not beat each other. They stood, knowing best that it was time to go back to the zoo.


	22. Fooling Clopar

Chapter 22: Fooling Clopar

They were about to walk beneath the tree bough where Isobel had left Clopar.

Clopar heard the voices, and looked. He narrowed his eyes, crept deeper into the shadows, and waited.

Isobel's ears twitched as she eyed the tree branches above them. Clopar leapt forward off of the branch, and Isobel's eyes widened as she pushed Julien out of the way and into a shrub.

She pinned Clopar down like she had before (again). He tried to get up, but Isobel wouldn't let him.

"You are always eavesdropping!" Isobel said angrily.

"I said I'd wait 'till you came back." Clopar told her.

Isobel sighed angrily and they both stood up.

"I didn't think you'd wait there forever." Isobel crossed her arms.

"Who was that with you?" Clopar asked.

"A friend." Isobel said truthfully. She guessed that Julien would be smart enough to know to stay behind the shrub until it was safe.

"Really?" Clopar was surprised.

Isobel suddenly looked back towards where they had come from and looked worriedly at Clopar.

"What is it?" Clopar asked.

"Someone in the city is calling your name. You should hurry."

Without question, Clopar hurried back to the city.

Isobel looked back to the yellow eyes that were peering at her. She smiled and gave a slight nod with her head, indicating that all was clear.

"Clopar." Isobel said before Julien could ask.

"Did you not see how you totally took him down?" Julien pointed out as they continued walking.

"No, I didn't. How was that?" Isobel asked sarcastically as she smiled.

"Did anyone really call him?" Julien smiled.

"No." Isobel laughed. "My hearing is not so keen as that."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

"This is – if it's true – it's amazing!" Skipper was beside himself with curiosity and joy.

"Maybe it's not what you think, Skipper." Kowalski said carefully. He wanted to believe it too, but he also didn't like getting his hopes up too high.

They were all in the HQ, still examining the note and such.

"Would it really mean anything?" Private asked.

"What do you mean?" Skipper questioned him. "That it would mean nothing?"

"I think what Private is trying to say is that if it is true, that we shouldn't worry about it or get our hopes up." Kowalski explained. "If she wanted us to know more she probably would have stayed."

"Ah, but don't you see?" Skipper said. "That's the entire reason she gave us that final hint. Men, don't you realize? This could be our chance! A new discovery! It's Atlantis for the love of MacArthur!"

Suddenly, 'Private's First Prize' plaque swung open. Maurice and Mort were there.

"Have you guys seen King Julien?" Maurice asked them all.


	23. Scene of the Crime

Chapter 23: Scene of the Crime

"No, haven't seen him since yesterday." Skipper told them.

"Wait, he's not with you?" Private thought that was unusual.

"Please find King Julien!" Mort cried.

"Calm down, Sad Eyes!" Skipper said, "When did you two lemurs last see him?"

"Like, two or three hours ago." Maurice tried to remember everything. "We were asleep, and when we woke up-"

"He wasn't there anymore!" Mort was distraught.

"Honestly, your story intrigues us, but we have more important things to attend to." Skipper turned back to the table.

"No!" Mort threw himself at Skipper. "Please, please, please find him! He means the whoooole world to me!"

Skipper sighed and rolled his eyes. "All right. We'll help you find Ringtail."

"Yay!" Mort hugged him happily.

"Yeah…" Skipper peeled him off. "Okay," He began giving orders, "Lemurs, take us back to the scene of the crime." :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

The penguins, Mort, and Maurice were back at the lemur habitat. Kowalski was jotting a few notes, Private was searching for any clues, and Rico kept turning his head to the park.

"So, tell me exactly what happened." Skipper was speaking to Maurice.

"Well, we were all dancing, and it started to get too hot, so King Julien told us that we could take a nap." Maurice explained. "But when we woke up, like Mort was sayin', he just vanished! He never takes off like that. At least not without waking me up first."

"There appears to be no trace left of him, Skipper." Kowalski stated.

"Then there is only one explanation." Skipper said ominously.

"What?" Mort was terrified. "What is it?!"

Skipper turned to him. "Space squids!"

Maurice rolled his eyes. "Oh please, not that again!"

"Never underestimate space squids." Skipper warned him.

"Or badgers." Private stiffened.

"Iz! Iz!" Rico pointed happily to the park.

"Not now, Rico!" Skipper was still mulling over his space squids theory.

"He said Isobel is back in the park!" Private said.

"Why didn't you just say so, Rico?" Skipper jumped down onto the grass and out of the habitat, everyone else (including Maurice and Mort) following closely.

Rico led the way back to the patch of trees. It seemed slightly eerie without Isobel there to tell them of danger. They stepped across a pile of leaves.

"Wait!" Kowalski froze. "I believe we are standing on some sort of booby trap."

"Nobody move!" Skipper ordered.

A shiny coin fell to the ground.

"Ooo, a penny! " Mort stepped forward to grab it.

**Author's notes: Thank you for the reviews :) I always look forward to those.**


	24. Rule Number 37

Chapter 24: Rule Number 37

The trap snapped shut, enclosing everyone in a net.

"Kowalski," Skipper said, his voice glazed over with serene irritability, "Write this down: Rule Number 37 - Never bring Sad Eyes into the park on a mission."

Dark shadows leapt around them in the trees.

"Show yourself!" Skipper demanded.

Finally, one dark image appeared on the ground below them: Clopar.

All of the penguins gasped.

"We know you!" Private exclaimed

Clopar narrowed his eyes at them. "Oh yes, I remember you four. But I don't recall you two." He was referring to Maurice and Mort.

"Friends from the zoo." Skipper said quickly.

"Have you seen King Julien?" Mort asked Clopar.

Maurice put his hand over Mort's mouth.

"Who?" Clopar asked Mort.

"Zip it, Sad Eyes!" Skipper hissed at him.

"Why would you do this to us?" Private asked.

"You're too much of a threat to our lost city." Clopar said. There was something obviously devious in his voice.

"That's a negative!" Skipper told him. The last thing he wanted to do was destroy Atlantis. "Except for maybe Rico."

"Iz." Rico said softly.

Clopar heard him and shook his head. "Once again, I am troubled by who you are asking for. But I will take a wild guess and say that 'Iz' must be short for Iz-o-bel?"

They all nodded.

"Well, you probably won't be seeing her for quite some time." Clopar smirked.

Rico growled.

"Stand down, soldier." Skipper told him. "We have to wait for the right moment."

"You've told me of your king." Clopar continued. "Perhaps you wouldn't mind paying a visit to my king?"

"You have King Julien?" Mort misunderstood what he meant.

"Write that rule down twice, Kowalski." Skipper sighed.

"Who is your king?" Kowalski asked.

"Isobel's father, that's who." Clopar said harshly. "And I don't think he'll be too pleased knowing that you four have been around her."

"Skippa, we have no choice." Private said quietly. "We have to go with them."

"Surrender isn't in my dictionary!" Skipper directed this at Clopar.

"But Skipper, it's right here!" Kowalski pulled out a dictionary. "At least…I think this might be written in Latin though."

"Never mind that!" Skipper said. "Take us to him then."

Clopar snapped his fingers. "You heard him! He wants to see the king."

About six others appeared from the shadows. One picked up the shining coin and another jumped up on top of the net to cut it down. They attached the net to two poles so they could carry their prisoners on their shoulders.

"Gah!" Kowalski exclaimed as they were lifted up.

"What?" Skipper asked.

"I seem to have misplaced my notebook." Kowalski looked around himself.

"There it is!" Mort pointed to where they were originally.

They all looked back as they were heaved onward.


	25. Notebook

Chapter 25: Notebook

Julien and Isobel were no more than thirty feet away from the zoo. Isobel examined the zoo's walls.

"They are so high." She said. She felt a tightening in her chest. She then stopped, twitching her ears this way and that.

Julien stopped too and looked at her. "What is it?"

"Listen." She said quietly.

"What? I am not hearing anything."

"It's...there's something wrong. The penguins I think. In the park. And two others from the zoo."

"Mort and Maurice!" Julien gasped.

"We've got to go back." Isobel said.

They rushed back to where they had encountered Clopar. When they reached the beginning of the patch, Isobel stopped to listen again. She climbed up a tree and jumped to the other. She came back down and said, "Clopar's been here."

They walked over to where the trap had once been. Isobel stepped lithely over the pile of leaves.

"Look!" Julien pointed to the ground. "It is the smarty penguins note book!"

Isobel spotted it and went to pick it up. "Clopar must have done something to them."

Julien remember the things that Isobel did; he looked around, noticed tracks, sniffed the air, and then looked back to Isobel. "They went back to the City."

Isobel looked at him thoughtfully, hugging the book to her chest. "Yes. That must be it."

They knew the way back to the City through the secret passageway in the tree, but Clopar had taken a different route.

Isobel knocked three times on the bark, and it slid open. They wound their way back down into the abyss. Isobel was first, eager to find her friends. Their feet touched the ground and they followed the light from the city.

"They must have gone to the Royal Court." Isobel said. "To take them to father."

She led the way by darting through different pathways. The final way was through heavy, carved doors that were guarded.

The guards only had to see Isobel and they knew to let her straight through. Down some marble steps and across a dark pond with stepping stones was the king's dais. And in front of His Majesty were the penguins, Mort, and Maurice. Clopar was standing beside Skipper as though waiting for him to pull some dangerous move – which he probably would.

Isobel leaped across the stepping stones.

Her father was glaring at his captives.

Without a sound, Isobel leaned over Skipper's shoulder to whisper, "Guess who?"

**Author's notes: Not sure if anyone has noticed yet, but certain elements of my story were greatly influenced by Disney's ****_Atlantis: The Lost Empire. _****I get lots of inspiration from movies, books, and music, in addition to things I see in the world and/or dream up. :) So yeah, just wanted to give the movie a little shout out there. Please continue reading and review! It is greatly appreciated. **


	26. Spotted Sand Gecko

Chapter 26: Spotted Sand Gecko

**Hey, everyone! Sorry for the wait, been super busy. Hope you're enjoying the story. :)**

Skipper jumped in shock and everyone turned to look at Isobel.

"Iz!" Rico was instantly bright.

"Kowalski," Isobel said, handing him his notebook, "I believe this is yours."

Kowalski took it with gratitude. "Yes! We completely depend on my options books."

Private stepped forward to give Isobel a hug. He was relieved to see someone familiar who knew what was going on.

Isobel tensed at first, and then hugged back. It had been so long since she'd had friends like this.

"Isobel!" Her father thundered from his dais. He was old, everyone could see this.

Isobel turned to face him. "Yes, father?" She knew he may want to speak in Atlantean, but she spoke in English to encourage him to do the same. She wanted her friends to understand every word.

"So this is true, what Clopar tells me," the old king rumbled, "That these are your friends?"

"My first friends from outside the city." Isobel admitted with no regret.

The king pondered this for a moment. Then he said ominously, "Anyone who sees the city cannot live."

"Say what?" Maurice went wide-eyed.

"Yeah, that's a negative, sir." Skipper was protective of his crew.

The king suddenly laughed. "I only wanted to see your reaction! We are more hospitable than that."

Isobel laughed as well. She glanced at Clopar and her laugh ceased. She glared hard at him, and he smirked.

Julien came up behind Isobel. Of course, Mort noticed him instantly.

"King Julien!" Mort tried to run to him, but Skipper caught him and gave him a look that screamed, "Not the time!" And in some strange way, Mort understood.

"I would like to speak to my daughter alone." The king directed this as a command to leave.

A couple of guards escorted the penguins and lemur trio right outside the where they would wait.

The guards stayed next to the door, not flinching.

"So that's where you were, Ringtail." Skipper looked to Julien.

Rico narrowed his eyes at Julien, but Private patted him reassuringly.

"Amazing!" Kowalski was in his own little world. He was examining a lizard that was perched on the wall across from them. "A Spotted Sand Gecko! These have been extinct to the modern world since 400 B.C.! This is a one of a kind discovery."

"This whole place is." Skipper said quietly, a bit transfixed as he gazed about them. The sandstone walls were high, and had intricate, hand-painted details in the crown molding. He wondered what else was out there.

"That was her?" Maurice asked Julien.

"Yeah." Julien nodded. He wondered what Isobel and the king were talking about it,

"Wow." Maurice smiled and he too began gazing about.

"I'm so glad she showed up." Private was still a little frazzled. "I was worried there."

Skipper nodded. "I don't trust that Clopar for a second."

Kowalski finished up his notes on the gecko. Its coloring allowed it to almost blend in with the sandstone. He tentatively poked it with his pencil, curious about what it would do. It flushed red around its neck and sides. The little gecko raised a grey eye up to Kowalski. Kowalski took note of this. He also realized that Isobel was the only one with green eyes. The king, Clopar, or anyone else here for that matter did not have green eyes. True, the king was not her biological father. But, if she was Atlantean, wouldn't she at least share some resemblance with the others? Kowalski sighed. He knew there was much more she had yet to tell them.

**P.S.: Thank you, treemist, for your continuing revie**


	27. Writing on the Walls

Chapter 27: Writing on the Walls

"They would have trespassed were it not for Clopar." The king said.

Isobel and her father were alone in the throne room.

"Father, the penguins are good." Isobel defended them. She was standing up on the first step leading towards the dais. "And the one that you said reminds you of a cobra in strike, he is not as he seems. Tough, yes, but he would not harm us. The same goes for the other – even the one that does not speak."

"It is not right." The king shook his head. "They come from behind closed in walls."

"As our walls are." Isobel pointed out. "We live beneath the same sky, and share the same, sun, moon, and stars with them. We are not so different."

"But our stars are brighter." The king smiled whimsically. "They shine with the hope of our ancestors."

Isobel sighed. "Perhaps your ancestors are trying to tell you that these newcomers will help us. You know this empire is not what it once was."

"We do not need help from the outside." The king insisted.

"Do you not remember the writing on the walls?" Isobel spoke softer. "The writing of visitors. How they described this city as sewn with gold and studded in jade and ivory? And how there were no boarish sailors in the harbors; only noble merchants."

The king nodded. "This may be true, but you do not understand yet what it takes to run an empire."

Isobel stiffened. "Father, I fear you do not either."

The king looked to her. He sighed deeply, not wanting to fight with Isobel. He knew he was getting old. He sat back in his throne and thought deeply. He waved his hand, signaling her to let their captives-turn-guests back in, She walked across the stepping stones and opened one of the heavy doors.

"Come in." She whispered. "Speak only when he speaks to you."

Skipper bravely led everyone in.

"If he's a king, where is his crown?" Mort whispered to Julien.

"That is an excellent question, Mort." Julien thought about it. "I must know."

"My daughter tells me what kind and trustworthy penguins you are." The king said once they all stood before him. "Is this true?"

Skipper glanced at Isobel. "Well, yes. We're trustworthy."

"And we have about an average of 72% intelligence." Kowalski chimed in. "For them." He mouthed and motioned towards the others.

Skipper noticed this and slapped Kowalski.

"And about 98% lethal." Kowalski rubbed his cheek.

"Do you always do this to your subordinates?" The king asked Skipper.

"When it's needed." Skipper replied.

"Like when we say something he doesn't like." Private added.

The king nodded, pressing his fingertips together. "I admire your authority. You keep them in order. Tough, but firm. Excellent leadership skills."

Skipper straightened up and puffed out his chest. "Isobel told me the same thing."

"Did she – wait, has anyone seen Clopar?" The king suddenly looked around.

Everyone shook their heads.

"Coward." Isobel and Skipper both said under their breaths.

The king turned his attention back to his guests. "I grant you my trust. You and your three comrades."

Kowalski, Private, and Rico traded high fives behind a proud looking Skipper.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Skipper was restraining all joy. "Are we free to go?"

The king gestured outwards with his hands and smiled. "You are. Except you three," he pointed to the three lemurs, "You stay."

The penguins shakily walked their way to the door, and the guards showed them an easy way out. Once above ground, all facades were let down.

"A new city for us." Skipper said proudly, flippers on his sides,

Several high-fives and face slaps were passed around.


	28. The Greeting of Two Kings

Chapter 28: The Greeting of Two Kings

"So," the king was pacing around is throne, "It is just the three of you from above. In this…zoo."

"Oh, there's a lot more of us back in de Madagascar." Julien told him.

"Yes, I know that." The king nodded. Something knowing flashed across his face. Surely as a king, he knew enough geography, even in the above world, that there were lemurs in Madagascar. But it was as though he knew exactly which lemurs. He continued on, "How is it that you live in such a small group?"

"We manage." Maurice answered.

The king raised an eyebrow. He then turned to Mort. "How do you like your king?"

"Oh, I love him thiiiiiis much!" Mort opened his arms wide.

"Yes, Mort, we all know that." Julien rolled his eyes.

The king turned to Julien instantly and proceeded down the steps leading to his dais. He came face to face with Julien, who was a few smudges taller than him. He studied him for a moment, Julien's eyes wide.

The king spoke. "You're a tall fellow, are you not?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so." Julien wasn't sure what kind of question that was. "I think it is the crown. Hey, why don't you wear a crown?"

"Why do you wear a crown?" The king questioned back.

"All kings have a crown." Julien declared. "Except for you, there is nothing upon your head."

Mort was entertaining himself by doing a headstand. "Look! My head is where my feets are supposed to be!"

The king pointed to Mort and looked to Julien.

Julien shrugged and said, "No one can be dealing with him."

Then the king pointed his thumb at Julien, and looked at Isobel.

Isobel shrugged and half-smiled.

The king shook his head and laughed. Perhaps his daughter was right; these people were purely innocent.

**Author's notes: Sorry for the short chapter. :p I wanted to post something to get myself going again. So, any comments on my characters? Hate them, love them? Continue reading and reviewing. :) **


	29. Clueless

Chapter 29: Clueless

"What?" Julien looked between the king and Isobel. "What are you two talking about?"

Isobel shook her head, laughing. "Nothing, nothing."

"I like them." The king decided. "Good people."

Julien had not anticipated for the king to take a liking to them, and therefore did not listen to attentively. "Oh really? Well we sure don't like you very much either! Do we, Mort?" He crossed his arms and turned away.

"But he just said he liked us." Mort pointed out.

"I know! That's why – wait, you like us?" Julien looked back, blinking.

"A little clueless." The king said to Isobel as he ascended the steps and sat back on his throne. "But I like them non-the-less."

"Aha, you see, Mort?" Julien uncrossed his arms. "I told you he liked us better than none!"

"Yay – ow!" Mort fell over from his headstand.

"You are all free to go." The king said, a smile on his lips. "Even you, Isobel."

Isobel smiled, warm and sincere. "Thank you." She said this in Atlantean this time.

"Are you kicking us out?" Julien asked.

"Come on, we're free." Isobel started walking towards the door.

"Bye, Mr. King!" Mort waved as he trotted after the others. "I like him." He said quietly to his own king.

"It seems that you like everything, Mort." Isobel smiled at him as she opened one of the doors.

They exited the Throne Room.

"You all seem so quiet." Isobel remarked as they made their way through the twisting pathways.

"Oh trust me, they are not." Julien scoffed. "Especially Mort."

Mort giggled. "I'm obnoxious!"

"And Maurice is not so bad." Julien added. "Unless he is complaining about something, which he is doing practically 24/7."

"Hey!" Maurice made a face at Julien.

Isobel smiled. She was not usually talkative herself, but these last few days had made her so bold that she felt even stronger than before.

"So why aren't we going out the way the penguins left?" Maurice asked.

"You see!" Julien threw his arms up. "Complain, complain!"

"Because this is an easier way back to the zoo once you're above ground." Isobel explained.

They were walking through the same pathway Isobel and Julien had been through earlier. They climbed up the slope, and Mort kept losing his balance.

The shaft of light that had been so bright before was dimming greatly.

"Uhh… how are we going to get through here?" Maurice looked up at the hole.

"Jump!" Isobel said as she leapt up onto a ledge. She looked back down. "Somebody pass me Mort."

Grimacing, Julien handed Mort to her. Isobel grabbed Mort's tiny paw with her own and let him rest on her back. She knew he wouldn't be able to make the climb himself.

"Hold on tight, okay?"

"Okay." This was totally new to Mort; a random act of kindness from another lemur.


	30. Magic Trick

Chapter 30: Magic Trick

Isobel quickly scurried up and out of the hole. She set Mort on the ground and peered back down. Maurice was attempting to jump and reach a ledge.

"Julien, let him stand on your hands." Isobel called.

"No way!" Julien shook his head. "Is your head full of the craziness?"

"No, but the longer it takes for you to help Maurice, the longer it will take for Mort to stop throwing acorns at you." Isobel warned him.

"Ha!" Julien laughed. "Mort would never – ow!"

"Sorry, King Julien." Mort called as he chucked another acorn. "But I like her too and you have to help Maurice."

Julien glared at Isobel, but she only smiled and inclined her head towards Mort. "He's the one throwing the acorns."

Julien rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat. "Fine. Maurice, you may place your peasant feet upon my kingly hands. But don't kick me, or else I will kick you back."

Maurice carefully stepped up onto Julien's hands and easily reached a ledge. With some difficulty, Maurice climbed to the top. Mort accidently threw an acorn at him.

"Ouch! Mort!" Maurice rubbed his head as he crawled out.

"Hehe. Sorry." Mort giggled. He looked at Isobel. "Can King Julien come up now?"

"Only if he can make it by himself." Isobel joked. She crossed her arms and leaned back. She looked about, noticing the rustle of the leaves. She tilted her head up a bit, sniffing this air. Gone was the perfumed Throne Room and brine of the harbor. This was New York City.

Julien jumped and easily climbed up the rest of the way. Mort clapped for him as he emerged from the hole. Julien looked at Isobel. At first glance, he noticed her surveying the park, this wondrous new place, a bright gleam in her eyes. But then, he noticed one of her earrings was missing.

"Your earring. On the left, it is gone."

Isobel's hand shot up, feeling the missing ruby stud. She gasped, and the others looked about themselves in search of it.

She then reached behind Mort's ear, retrieving the sparkling gem, a smile on her lips.

Now everyone else gasped.

"Yay, magic trick!" Mort clapped for her.

Isobel put her earring back on, smiling broadly.

"How'd you do that?" Maurice asked.

Isobel held up her hands, palms up. "I could never tell."

"But you must show me!" Julien was intrigued.

Isobel looked to him as she stood up. "It is getting dark. Should we go back to the zoo?"

Julien nodded and he and the others stood. "Yes, let us be getting back to civilization. You know, with the sidewalks."

"I like sidewalks!" Mort skipped about, turning cartwheels.

**Don't worry, penguins are headed your way the next chapter. (: **


	31. Eight of Hearts

Chapter 31: Eight of Hearts

"Have you got a six of diamonds, Skippa?" Private asked.

They were in the HQ playing Go Fish because it was Private's turn to pick the card game for that night.

"Go fish." Skipper replied to his question.

Private reached into the card pile and drew a seven of spades.

"Kowalski, what exactly is the objective of this game?" Skipper yawned.

"Whoever runs out of their cards first is the winner." Kowalski answered while setting down a book of eight of hearts. "And, truly, that is all there is to it." He now had two cards left.

"Your turn to ask, Rico." Skipper said.

Rico slapped a card down in front of Private.

"No, I haven't got any queens." Private shook his head. "Go fish."

Suddenly, a splash in the water outside could be heard.

"What was that?" Private set his cards down. Rico tried to sneakily glance at his cards.

"Rico," Skipper said as he set down his cards, "Check out the window."

Rico slid towards the window and peered out. Nothing was there.

"Nada." He turned back to Skipper.

"Hmm. We should check anyway. Can't take any chances these days." He stood and walked over to the ladder. He began climbing it, and the others followed. Ever so carefully, Skipper crawled out from under the fish bowl. He saw what had caused the splash that startled them. "What the?"

"Come on, Mort, jump in!" Isobel called. She was swimming around on her back, and then she dove under the water and swam over to the cement platform.

She climbed onto the platform and saw Skipper staring. She smiled. "Hey, Skipper."

Skipper looked back down the ladder to his team. "No worries, it's only Isobel and the other lemurs."

Rico shot up the ladder and the others were quickly behind him. Isobel and the penguins exchanged their greetings.

"Here I go!" Mort jumped into the warm water.

"Did you all just come back from Atlantis?" Skipper asked. It gave him little shivers to ask such a strange question, and to know that Atlantis was virtually in his backyard.

"Yes, father wanted to speak to the three of them." Isobel was checking her earrings and squeezing water out of her tail.

"Look, I'm a whale." Mort was paddling around on his back and spitting water from his mouth.

"Come on, Julien! Maurice too." Isobel called as she looked back to her friends.

"Hold this." Julien passed Maurice his crown. He looked down into the water, held his nose, and then jumped. He came up quickly and shook his head vigorously, trying to get the water out of his ears.

Isobel helped Mort out of the water. She tried coaxing Maurice again.

Maurice looked warily at the water. "Uh, no thanks. I'll wait here."

"Don't be a diva now!" Isobel dipped her feet in the water. "Even Julien got in!"

"Hey!" Julien said as he also got up onto the platform. "I know what you are implying."

"You can do it, Maurice!" Private shouted encouragingly.

"But I'll get the royal crown wet." He made up an excuse.

"Pass it to me!" Isobel reached her hand out.

Maurice groaned and threw the crown to her. She caught it and he jumped. He resurfaced spluttering and coughing. "Yeah, don't worry about me, I'm fine."


	32. A Fair Game of Poker

Chapter 32: A Fair Game of Poker

"So if the king isn't your real dad, then who is?" Skipper asked Isobel as he shuffled the cards. They were sitting at the table, and by majority rules were now about to start playing poker.

The table was no pretty full, with extra cards set out and more elbows taking up space. Mort and Maurice were not playing. They sat in the corner where Maurice occasionally closed his eyes and Mort happily played with a pair of socks.

Isobel knew these questions would come. "He was from a land far, far away from here. My real home. Perhaps someday I will tell you more about this place. But he died when I was very young, along with my mother."

"Isobel?" Private inquired politely. "May I ask how they died?"

"I don't know how they died, and I didn't really know them." Isobel furrowed her brow. "It would not make sense to say that I missed them." But deep in her heart, she did miss them; terribly. She had not been so little as to not remember them at all.

"What a shame." Private said quietly as he was passed his cards.

Skipper cleared his throat, changing the subject for Isobel's sake. "Okay, men – and lady – are we going to make this game interesting or just regular gambling?"

As soon as everyone was about to say regular, Isobel piped up.

"Interesting."

She laid her cards face down and pulled out her heavy, yellow gold earrings. She put them in the middle of the table.

"But we can't match that!" Skipper exclaimed.

"Sure you can." Isobel countered. "Just put in something that means a lot to you. If one of you penguins has the best hand, you win my wealth. But if I have the best hand, everything on this table is mine."

The others agreed, sure that they would easily win back their stuff. Rico went first and regurgitated his flamethrower.

"What a fine example." Isobel nodded. "Your turn, Kowalski."

Kowalski put some thought into it and decided to flip through his notes. Suddenly, he paused. "But of course! It's the notebook itself." Reluctantly, he slid it into the middle of the table as well.

"Private." Isobel flicked her eyes to him.

Private was already up to fetch his butterscotch lolly. "Don't worry, lolly." He held it close, "I'll win you back."

"Skipper." Isobel smiled languidly.

Skipper folded his flippers. "I don't think I can put my dignity on the table."

"It is physically impossible." Kowalski agreed.

Isobel eyes and smile widened. "That just made things twice as interesting."

Skipper raised an eyebrow. "What do you-"

"All right, now Julien."

Everybody looked at him, wondering what the king would offer up.

"Mort, come sit on the table! Perhaps you will now get a new home!" Julien snapped his fingers and pointed to the middle of table.

"No," Isobel shook her head, "Something that you truly care about."

Julien, being the most reluctant, set his crown gingerly on the table.

"So, Skipper." Isobel turned to the leader, his eyes steely as he met her striking emeralds. "Since you so boldly offered up your own dignity, if I win, you must do the hula in front of the entire zoo tomorrow. In a grass skirt."


	33. Royal Flush

Chapter 33: Royal Flush

Snickers went all around the table at the very idea.

"Fat chance!" Skipper slammed his cards down, confident in his deck. He had a Four of a Kind.

Isobel raised an eyebrow, but she didn't flip over her own cards just yet.

Kowalski set his down: Full House.

Rico set his down: Another Full House.

Private set down a straight.

"Ringtail?" Skipper asked.

Julien set is cards down: a Flush.

Skipper smirked. "Exactly. I have the best cards. How can you beat that, Isobel?"

"You're good." Isobel smiled. "And yet not good enough."

She flipped her cards face up: a Royal Flush.

Everyone except Skipper let out a gasp. Skipper looked utterly horrified.

"No!" Kowalski cried. "My notes! All of them wasted and gone!"

"Why? Why?" Rico was in despair over his beloved flamethrower.

"My lolly! I promised we would neva part!" Private wept.

"Not my crown!" Julien held the sides of his face. "Please do not be taking my crown!"

Isobel tapped her fingers on the table and thought. She hadn't meant to cause this much distress.

"All of this is mine for the night." Isobel made a compromise. "But Skipper still has to follow up."

"It's the rules, Skippa." Private said quietly.

"Agreed." Skipper grumbled. "The whole zoo?"

"Every last inhabitant, Skipper." Isobel flashed a pearly smile as she put her gold hoops back in her ears.

Skipper groaned.

"So, I will be getting my crown back tomorrow?" Julien asked Isobel.

"Yes." Isobel picked up the leafy crown and set it upon her head. It drooped a bit as it was too big. "Not exactly my style, but I won it, no?"

Julien crossed his arms, but then his face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Maurice! Fetch me my spare crown!"

Isobel shot him a look. "If you wear that, you'll be joining Skipper."

Julien huffed angrily and slouched, re-crossing his arms. He did not understand why he was so eager to listen to this girl, but he did nonetheless.

Isobel looked to her scattered winnings. "Rico, you can have the flamethrower back."

Rico laughed and happily ate up his prized possession.

"What if I beat you at another game?" Skipper was desperate to get out of his promise.

"Yeah, what if?" Isobel tilted her chin up defiantly.

"If I win, you give everyone's precious sentimental things back tonight, and our little deal for tomorrow gets called off."

"And if I win?" Isobel was interested.

Skipper gulped. "Then all of my men will do the hula with me."

"So you're going to drag our dignities down with you?!" Kowalski was flabbergasted.

"Is that going to be an issue between you and me?" Skipper raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to say more.

"N-no." Kowalski looked down.

"Hey, Maurice." Julien turned to his advisor. "Do not be forgetting the video camera tomorrow! I want to see their dignity falling over and over-"

"Don't make me drag you into this too!" Skipper pointed a flipper at him angrily.

Isobel brought everyone back to the game. "Alright, so who will be the dealer?"


	34. Queen of Hearts & King for a Night

Chapter 34: Queen of Hearts & King for a Night

"I'll do it." Private volunteered to be the dealer. He began shuffling the cards. "Which game will you be playing?"

"Five card draw." Skipper narrowed his eyes at Isobel. He was hoping to catch her in a card game she was not skilled at. He was surprised she knew any card games, being from Atlantis. Then again, it was a city full of sailors and passer-by. She knew much more about the modern world than they thought.

Private passed five to Isobel and five to Skipper.

Skipper glanced at his cards, arranged them a little, and a smile happened to twitch on his beak.

Isobel stretched her neck from side to side a bit, being careful not to let Julien's crown slide off, and also arranged her cards. But there were no facial expressions other than concentration to be seen.

"Either she has an excellent poker face or she has a terrible 'and." Private whispered to Kowalski.

Skipper deftly laid his cards down: Straight flush in clovers ranging from five to nine.

"I also have that." Isobel laid her cards down. "But my numbers are higher." They were red hearts, ranging from ten to ace.

"No!" All of the penguins screamed.

"Make sure your camera is charged all the way." Isobel smiled at Julien.

"Maurice!" Julien called.

"On it!" Maurice was checking the battery on the camcorder.

Mort had fallen asleep on his socks, and was mumbling in his sleep. "No, I like the mangos."

"Well, that's it for tonight." Skipper set his cards down, utterly defeated. "I'm turning in."

"Yes." Private yawned. "Goodnight, everyone."

"We should go as well." Isobel scooped up the sleeping Mort. They exited through 'Private's First Prize'.

When they could once again breathe the August air, Maurice spoke up to Isobel. "You seem really motherly towards Mort."

"He needs it." Isobel pointed out. "And why wake him up when he is light enough to carry?"

Nobody could argue with that.

Isobel looked around, shifting Mort in her arms. She noticed all the things that were different about this civilization: the bright lamps, the neat and well-swept cement walkways, and even the orderly plants that were trimmed with precision. Deep in her memory, before Atlantis, she recalled living in a place much wilder. In every way it was much more orderly than this, forever in the balanced cycle of nature. Isobel snapped back to the present, and realized now that she would be staying the night at the lemur habitat. It was very late, and she would not be able to get into the city by now. Or perhaps she could, and simply did not want to. This was another adventure.

When they reached the habitat, Isobel was deciding on how to get Mort over the wall.

"You could just throw him over the wall." Julien suggested.

"I'll take him." Maurice rolled his eyes.

Isobel handed him over.

"Mort, wake up." Maurice poked at him. "Mort!"

Mort yawned sleepily. "Good morning."

"It ain't morning yet." Maurice told him.

"Then what's that shiny thing in the sky?" Mort questioned.

"That's the moon." Maurice grew tired of the Twenty Questions game. "Now get up and climb over the wall so we can all get some shut eye."

Mort quickly realized they were at their habitat. He scaled the wall and promptly fell over onto the other side. "Ouch! I am okay."

"I better check on him." Maurice slowly climbed up over the wall as well.

Mort's head then appeared over the wall. "Why are you wearing King Julien's crown?"

Isobel laughed, holding onto the edge of the crown as she looked up at Mort. "I won it in a poker game!"

"Oh, so now you're king?" Mort asked.

"For tonight, I am." Isobel smiled, and looked over at Julien.

He smiled back.

Isobel's smile diminished a tad, and she took off the crown. "You can have it back. I know how important it is to you."

"No, you won it fairly and squarely… well, okay." Julien gingerly took it, secretly elated. He fancied himself better in a crown anyway.

**Thank you for the continuing reviews. :) Please keep on reading and giving me feedback! **


	35. Peaceful

Chapter 35: Peaceful

The two lemurs looked back to the wall. Isobel climbed up first and jumped down onto the grass on the other side. This grass was different than what she knew. There was no grass in Atlantis, except for in the King's Garden. She thought of the grass cut short only by the mouths of native herbivores. This grass was much shorter, purposefully groomed, and a bit greener. The Big Apple; what a strange place.

"Why are you staring at the grass?" Mort came up to her.

"What?" Isobel's head shot up. "I am not."

Julien came over the wall as well.

"Isobel was staring at the grass." Mort announced.

Julien gave her a puzzled look. "Who does that?"

"Apparently I do." Isobel smirked at Mort.

Mort's eyes went droopy and he yawned again. "I want to sleep now."

Isobel was examining the palm trees, trying to decide which one would be best to sleep in. She decided on the one in the middle. She said her goodnights and jumped onto the trunk of the tree. She sank her claws in and hurriedly climbed the rest of the way. She nestled in between the fronds.

"That is not looking very roomy!" Julien called up to her.

"It is fine." Isobel could already feel a pain in her back. But she did not know these lemurs well enough to rest on the ground with them.

Julien wobbled his head at her and went to lay on the bouncy. She had strange ways and this was all he knew.

Within twenty minutes, everyone except for Isobel was asleep. She was stargazing. At the stars she could see, at least. The city lights were too bright to see much. Finally, her eyelids began to flutter, and she went into a deep sleep.

Hours passed, and the moon shifted into just past the middle of the sky. Isobel awoke, sore in her shoulders and neck, and looked around.

_How difficult it is adjusting to a new world. _She thought as she looked for a better place to sleep.

And then her eyes landed on the throne. It was perfect. She could sleep with her hands beneath her head. She scampered down and walked silently to the throne. She sat up in it without making a creak, adjusted herself into a half-laying down position, glanced at the moon, and fell asleep once more.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Later on during the early morning, (about 3 AM) Mort began having a bad dream and he kicked out, right into Julien's back. Julien was awake instantly.

"Ugh, Mort!" he groaned. "The sun isn't even close to waking up and yet you wake me up?"

"Don't take the mangoes!" Mort grumbled and twitched in his sleep.

Julien rolled his eyes and looked at Maurice, who was still fast asleep. Julien's ears twitched, and he whipped his head around to look at his throne. He relaxed when he saw Isobel sleeping there. She looked peaceful, breathing slowly, the moon catching her.

Julien sighed, and wondered if she would stay forever.

"Mangoes. Mangoes everywhere." Mort's nightmare began to ease into a dream.

The breeze soft and cool, promising to bring autumn within a month or so.

Julien fell back asleep, waiting for the gleaming moon to exchange shifts with the bright sun. He couldn't wait to show Isobel the new world.


	36. The City that Never Sleeps

Chapter 36: The City that Never Sleeps

The sun began rising at about 630.

"Isobel."

Isobel heard someone calling her name as she stirred in her sleep. She would have already been awake had her soreness not woken her earlier.

"Isobel! Wake up!"

Isobel's eyes fluttered open, but the sun was so bright to her. She blinked, waiting for her eyes to adjust. She looked to see who had called her name, but no one was there. She stretched her arms, trying to relive the tension in her neck.

"Morning!" Julien popped out of nowhere.

Isobel sucked in her breath to keep from shrieking.

"So, the palm tree was roomy, yes?" Julien asked sarcastically.

"Oh, yes." Isobel remember she was laying on his throne. "Very roomy."

"Great. I am glad the Sky Spirits gave you good sleep." Julien was tossing a mango from hand to hand. "The Sky Spirits allowed Mort to be kicking me while I slept."

"Are they awake yet?" Isobel asked quietly, referring to Mort and Maurice.

"No, they are too lazy to be up at this glorious hour."

Isobel nodded. She noticed Julien liked to have flair in all of his statements. You couldn't forget what he said that way, even if it was something that made entirely no sense. "I would have been awake already, had the palm trees not been so…Roomy."

"I was going to be showing you around." Julien told her. "You know, the zoo."

"I would like that." Isobel sat up, popping her stiff back. She jumped down and snatched Julien's mango right from his hand. She sashayed past him, leaving him wide eyed.

"You have quite a view around here." Isobel remarked as bit into the sweet mango.

"Y-yeah." Julien came around and walked to her.

They stood at the edge of the cement ledge. Isobel's ears pricked forward as she looked at the park.

"You see that hill?" She asked Julien as she nodded towards it.

"Yes." Julien nodded. "So first you are staring at grass, and now hills?" He added with a smile.

Isobel laughed and pushed him playfully. "At least I am not the clumsy one."

Julien smiled and returned to the hill. "What about it?"

"That's Violet Hill." Isobel told him. "On the first day of spring every year, a singly violet grows. But by the next day, it has withered away."

Julien nodded. "Ah, yes…what is a violet?"

Isobel's eyes sparkled with a laugh, but she realized that Julien probably had not seen the same violets in Madagascar as she had in Atlantis. "It's a bright purple flower." She offered the remaining part of the mango to Julien. Would you like some?"

Julien wrinkled his nose a bit. He had not shared even when he was a child, but he decided it couldn't be so bad. He ate up the last bits.

"We should go." Isobel suggested. "The morning is wasting away."

Julien agreed, throwing the core of the mango a fair distance. He knew the visitors would be there within a couple hours. "First, we must see the 'panzees."

"Chimps?" Isobel guessed.

"Yes, whatever it is they are." Julien waved it off.

They were out of the habitat and walking along the pathway. "One of them speaks with his hands, and the other one, who is the neat freak, does all of the talking. And they hate the conga. I cannot be believing them." Julien instructed Isobel on the chimps.

"Well, they're chimps, of course they do not like dancing." Isobel pointed out.

"I never considered this." Julien agreed. "It is so obvious!"

A small smile crossed Isobel's lips as they passed by other habitats. It appeared that no one else was awake yet.

_Strange, _she thought, _the city that never sleeps is not even awake with the sun. _

**Author's notes: Yes, I used the Coldplay song "Violet Hill" as the name for the hill Isobel told Julien about. :p So just giving them some credit. And thank you, treemist, for all your support. :D It makes my day to see the reviews. **


	37. Chimp Sign Language

Chapter 37: Chimp Sign Language

They approached the chimp's habitat, and Julien called out, "'Ey, 'panzees!"

"Hmm?" Phil stopped sipping his tea to look. "Oh, it's you. Phil, wake up. King Julien is here."

Phil sat up sleepily and rubbed his eyes. He used sign language with Mason.

"No, I don't know why he's here." Mason told him. "But there's no need to be so rude about it." He then turned to Julien. "Why are you here so early?"

"Why cannot neighbors just be neighborly?" Julien replied.

"Good morning." Isobel waved to them.

"Oh, I see. You have a friend." Mason nodded. "What's your name, m'lady?"

Isobel told him. "And yours…sir?"

"I am Mason." Mason placed his hand on his chest, and then gestured towards Phil. "And that it Phil. He only speaks through sign language."

"I know a few words." Isobel said quietly. "We once had a deaf mongoose come through our city. She taught me some sign language before I scared the daylights out of her." She smiled a bit at her own joke; Mongooses and cobras do not mix.

"Phil won't mind a few mistakes. Go ahead and try." Mason suggested.

Isobel looked at Phil and began signing. Haltingly at first, looking about in the air as though she could see her memories floating there, but then the right motions came to her and her hands moved more fluidly.

Phil watched every motion carefully, and then nodded happily when she finished. He signed back quickly.

"Jolly good apparently." Mason had been watching them.

"What? What did they say?" Julien asked.

"Oh, just the usual greetings and such." Mason explained. "As is polite in CSL."

"CSL?"

"Chimp Sign Language."

They soon parted ways.

"Where to now?" Isobel asked.

"There are no more nice-ish people." Julien said. "Just the 'panzees, the penguins, and Marlene. But Marlene is gone away on some vacation. Some place called Calee-for-neea."

"Who's Marlene?" Isobel was interested that there was another female at the zoo.

"She's an otter or whatever. But she cannot be going into the park or else she turns into a crazy devil." Julien shuddered at the memory. "I do not want to relive that."

Isobel laughed. "I would still like to meet her. When does she return?"

"Yes, I suppose she can be nice. Oh, and in a few weeks or something." Julien told her.

Isobel nodded. "Is there anyone else to meet in the mean time? Truly, I want to know as many people as I can."

Julien wished he knew her accent. It was strange and lovely and like a song. He came back from his mind to Isobel's question. He tapped his chin. "Well then you can be meeting Joey. He is a very bouncy guy. The kangaroo kind."

"A kangaroo?" Isobel had never seen a kangaroo. She had heard of them from stories. And she had also never heard an Australian accent. Maybe once a long while ago when Jack had just gone out to sea there had been an Aussie sailor with him.

Julien nodded. "He is not very nice at all. But since you insisted…"

They stopped in front of Joey's habitat. Peeking their heads over the top of the wall, they could see Joey scratching flies away from his ears, feeling lazy in the mild weather.

"Joeyyy!" Julien lowered his head and yell-whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Isobel raised an eyebrow at him.

"He gets very testy." Julien warned her.

Isobel cupped her hands over her mouth. "Oi!" She heard Jack yell that to his crew all the time. Maybe Joey would respond to it too.

"Mmm?" Joey looked up to where they were. He saw Julien first and narrowed his eyes, hopping over to the wall. "You again? What is it that you want?"


	38. The Tolling of the Bell

Chapter 38: The Tolling of the Bell

"Eh, heh, that was not me." Julien stammered.

"Well then 'oo was it?" Joey had his fists on his hips.

"Over here." Isobel had her elbows propped up on the wall.

Joey raised an eyebrow and he focused his attention on her. "Say, you're not from round here."

Isobel shook her head. "I'm not. I'm…new here."

"Thas' right." Joey nodded. "For a moment I thought Julien'd come round to give me an earbashing. It drives me completely berko, I tell ya."

Julien blinked, not understanding a word. "What?"

"Say, what's a nice sheila like you doing round a forgetful bloke like him?" Joey asked Isobel as he nodded towards Julien.

"Good question." Isobel joked with a playful smile.

Joey laughed. He looked at Julien. "Hold on to that Sheila, seems like a keeper."

Isobel smiled. "We should be getting back. It was nice to meet you, Joey."

"You as well." Joey nodded. "Hoo roo!"

"Goodbye." Isobel called as the walked away.

"_That _was chilling." Julien said as soon as they were out of earshot. He didn't mind what Joey had said about Isobel though.

"He's nice, you see?" Isobel said. "You just have to stay on his good side."

"He doesn't have a good side!" Julien remarked.

"If there is no one left to see, what should we do now?" Isobel asked, a bounce in her step.

"We could just walk around." Julien wasn't quite ready to go back to their habitat.

Isobel looked at him and smiled. He had just looked to her and began to smile when the zoo's bell tolled.

It startled them and Julien stopped dead in his tracks. "The people! They are coming now!"

"Well come on then!" Isobel laughed as she began sprinting back towards the habitat.

"Hold on!" Julien used his hand to steady his crown as he tried to keep up. "I do not run this fast!"

They bent corners with agility that comes with practice (or dancing) and Isobel hopped the wall in one bound. Even she did not know how she did that. She had simply hoisted herself right over.

She sank down to the grass, laughing in a relieved way.

Julien jumped over the wall as well, crashing down into the grass with her, breathing hard. He was laying on his back, facing Isobel. She had her back to the wall.

They glanced at each other, and chuckled together at the close call.

Maurice came up to them. "It's a good thing Alice didn't catch you guys."

"Is she the zookeeper?" Isobel asked.

Julien sat up, brushing off grass. "If you mean deranged, psycho maniac zoo keeper, then yes."

"I said the left side of the zoo, you imbecile!" They could hear Alice screaming at a fellow keeper.

"Oh, I see." Isobel raised her eyebrows. "Fun."

"Were you serious about that bet with the penguins?" Maurice asked her.

Isobel smiled and wobbled her head. "We will see. Perhaps I can use that as my token for getting a favor of them instead."

They heard the zoo gate clank open, and the scent of humans filled the once still air.

Mort clapped his hands. "Yay! People-party-fun-time!"

**Author's notes: So, not being an Aussie myself, I had to look up some Australian slang for Joey's dialogue. I hope I got it all right. But here is a little mini glossary for my fellow non-Aussies:**

**Berko: crazy; to drive crazy**

**Earbashing: constant chatter and often mindless talk**

**Hoo roo: Goodbye **

**P.S.: I know, three chapters today. :o But I went on a writing spree. And also for just in case I get busy this week and don't have time to update as much as usual. **


	39. Exploring the HQ

Chapter 39: Exploring the HQ

"I need a hiding spot." Isobel announced to the other lemurs. She did not want Alice to catch her. "At least until this can all be figured out."

"You should stay with the penguins." Maurice suggested. "They would know what to do."

Isobel nodded, as they would be her safest bet. She peeked over the wall. "But how to get there without being seen…"

People were already rushing past, and Isobel caught someone's eye.

"Mommy, mommy!" A little boy said. "That one has shiny ears!"

Isobel gasped and ducked down, touching her earrings, knowing that's what the boy had seen.

"I shall distract them!" Julien decided. He ran over to a different section of the wall, and threw a mango onto the cement. Miraculously, everyone close enough to spot Isobel huddled around the mango to figure out what it was.

This gave her just enough time to hop the wall and sprint to the penguins' habitat. But she found that it was also surrounded by people. She hid behind a trashcan and thought hard, then snapped her fingers. _Of course! _She whistled, causing the people to turn this way and that, looking for the source. She whistled loudly again, throwing her voice to make it sound as though it was coming from the chimp's habitat. Everyone hurried over there to see what was happening. Isobel ran to the water, diving in and leaping up, only to see the startled faces of the penguins.

"We were just showing them our high five technique!" Skipper said, irritated.

"Sorry, bit of an emergency." Isobel said as she climbed out of the water.

"What's wrong?" Private asked.

Skipper pushed him behind himself. "Watch your back. She might steal even more of what little dignity we have left."

Isobel had her hands on her hips. "I'm calling that off."

Skipper raised his eyebrows. "Wait, really?"

Isobel nodded, lifting her head up a bit. "Yes. In exchange for your help."

Skipper considered it for only a split second. Anything to get out of such a dreadful situation. "Why not? What d'you need, dollface?"

"A hiding spot." Isobel began to explain. "Just until we have me on the zoo's records. So the keepers won't take me somewhere else."

"Of course." Skipper agreed. "Stay in our HQ."

They all dropped down into HQ.

"Kowalski, you got options?" Skipper had his flippers behind his back.

Kowalski flipped through charts. "We could place Isobel in a shipping crate with an address from a different zoo on it. We'll simply place the crate on the back of a delivery truck just coming into the zoo. When Alice sees the tag and brings you to the lemur habitat, we're in!"

"Excellente, you've done it again Kowalski." Skipper praised him. He looked to Isobel. "What say you?"

"I think it will work." Isobel was sitting on one of the stools with her legs crossed, her tail twitching a bit. "Let's follow through."

Skipper nodded. "We'll discuss location when the humans have lunch break at 1200 hours."

"See you then, Isobel." Private waved goodbye.

All the penguins exited through the fish bowl.

Isobel looked at the clock and saw that it was only 1003. She knew the time would pass by quickly if she kept herself entertained:

She built a house of cards, fixed a small malfunction in one of Kowalski's inventions, swept the floor, and even found their candy stash. These weren't like the sweets in Atlantis. Red Vines? They were like wax. And what was a peanut butter Winkie? She did like the salt water taffy, however it did get stuck in one of her fangs.

Three taffies later, it was 1130. She looked around again and then noticed a very dusty and forgotten corner. She swept away a bit of the dirt and found a radio. The dial was tuned into a rock n roll station. She adjusted the antenna and shifted the dial: unfamiliar and invigorating music pulsed through the HQ. It was in this final thirty minutes that Isobel learned all about sensations like Sean Paul, Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas, and several others. These differences from her cultures were countless, and Isobel wanted to know every last one.

**I know, no hula dance. ): But I had to use it for another purpose. :D **


	40. The Sky Spirits are Singing Too

Chapter 40: The Sky Spirits are Singing Too

By 1150, Isobel was standing on the table and singing along to "Empire State of Mind".

_New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of_

_There's nothin' you can't do_

_Now you're in New York _

_These streets will make you feel brand new_

_The lights will inspire you_

_Let's hear it for New York, New York…_

Up above, the penguins were high fiving away when they heard. They were shocked and it messed up their routine, but they collected themselves and continued on with the show.

1159 rolled around, but Isobel was too into her music to notice. The penguins dropped down the hatch right when Isobel was dancing and in the middle of a verse in M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes."

_Sometimes I think sitting on trains_

_Every stop I get I'm clockin' that game _

_Everyone's a winner, we're makin our fame_

_Bona fide hustler makin my name…_

"What in the Finnish capital are you doing?" Skipper asked, his eyebrow raised.

Isobel heard him and whipped around. She stopped her singing and dancing and whipped around. She quickly shut off the radio. "Well, I cleaned, built a house of cards, and fixed one of Kowalski's inventions."

"What?!" Kowalski exclaimed as he went to check on the invention he left on the table. He turned it on and discovered that it was working twice as well as before. "Oh, well…thank you."

"How did you manage that?" Skipper asked.

"They were minor things." Isobel said modestly.

Private figured she was still a little embarrassed. "You're a lovely dancer. And your voice! I couldn't hear it too well but the parts I did hear were amazing."

Isobel smiled, lowering her head modestly again. "Thank you."

"So, location." Skipper cleared his throat to get back on topic, though he did agree with Private.

"Yes." Isobel hopped off of the table.

Kowalski laid a chart on the table for all of them to look at. "Well, I figured Isobel would feel more comfortable with a tag that says she's from the wild instead of another zoo."

Isobel smiled broadly. "Good thinking. I want that label to say 'Wild animal in crate'."

"Where from then?" Skipper asked.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

**30 Minutes Earlier**

Awhile after the people had lost interest in the fallen mango, they had turned their attention to the lemur trio to watch them dancing. Julien was particularly full of robust energy, even in the sweltering heat.

"What's gotten into you, Your Majesty?" Maurice asked him.

"The Sky Spirits are singing, Maurice! I feel like I am on top of this crazy world." Julien explained with a huge smile. "And the people are liking it!"

Maurice shook his head and smiled. He could read his king very well, and he knew it was all because of that girl.

Before long, the people began departing to search for the nearest hot dog stand. All of the lemurs fell back onto the grass, the now September sun scorching them.

"It's hot!" Mort shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes, it is glorious weather." Julien said absentmindedly as he stared off into the deep blue sky, his arms behind his head.

Maurice looked at Mort and then to Julien. "You know, we could go visit Isobel at the penguins'."

"Yeah." Julien was still in a daze. "I mean, yes! Let us be going."

So they were off. But when they entered through Private's First Prize, all of the penguins and Isobel were laughing so hard that tears were nearly coming out of their eyes.

"So it said Russia on it," Skipper was continuing his story between laughs. "But when they opened the box, it was spiced pumpkin seeds!"

"And they thought it was a peace treaty?" Private was in hysterics as he leaned on Isobel while they cracked up.

"The audacity!" Kowalski was doubled over.

"You should've seen Manfredi's face!" Skipper wiped a laughter tear from his eye.

All this talk of crates and labels had jogged Skipper's memory of that particular incident.


	41. Madagascar

**Treemist- Perhaps the hula will make a reappearance?...I'm really not sure yet. This was all pre-handwritten, but I have made some adjustments and changes from that draft, so we'll see what happens. (:**

Chapter 41: Madagascar

"But they were suspicious in the first place." Skipper began calming down. "Because they knew that the north-polers would never regret any conflict they had had with the south-polers."

Everyone wound down slowly. Once Isobel caught her breath, she noticed her newly arrived friend starings.

"Hey." She smiled, her eyes still glittering with laughter.

"We just came to check on everything." Maurice said slowly.

"Oh, right." Private said. "We should say you're from Madagascar, because it only makes sense."

"This is true." Kowalski flipped through his notebook. "Is that okay?"

Isobel shrugged and nodded. "Of course. No sense in confusing the keepers further. So who knows how to make labels?"

"Oh! I'll do it!" Private volunteered excitedly.

"Rico, I'm going to need 23 nails, a hammer, lots of plywood, and a toasty tuna sandwich. With all of these materials, our plan is foolproof!" Skipper stated.

"Um, what exactly is going on?" Julien asked.

"Ringtail, this is a military scale operation that will make Isobel legal within our zoo."

"Oh." Julien looked to Isobel for translation.

"It's so the zookeepers won't panic when they see me." Isobel explained.

"The mission should go down around 1600 hours today." Skipper announced. "Kowalski, I need you to hack into the zoo's shipment schedule."

"I'm on it, Skipper." The scientist said.

"So, you are from de Madagascar, eh?" Julien asked Isobel suavely.

She knew he was joking, and laughed.

Skipper glanced at the clock; 1215.

"We've got fifteen minutes until the people show up." He told everyone. "So the plan is, we all go up then – except Julien, Maurice, and Sad Eyes go back in ten minutes – and entertain the humans for another hour, which is when they all leave. Alice usually does her crazy check ups around 1500 hours. By that time, the mission should be at its boiling point. And, as said before, Isobel should be in the clear by 1600 hours."

Isobel sighed, looking a bit sullen.

Private sensed this, and asked what was wrong.

"I miss my city." She said truthfully. Of course, she was so happy and excited to be here with all of them, but there were still warm elements of home that she could not get here.

"It's okay, Isobel." Private reassured her as he continued making labels. "Sometimes I miss mum and dad."

Maurice glanced at the clock, and saw that it was time for them to go. He looked at Julien, who was gazing at Isobel as she loomed over Kowalski's chart. Her earrings caught whatever light was reflecting from Kowalski's headlamp, which was being used by Skipper. The little emeralds and rubies shone like tinsel.

"Uh, King Julien." Maurice interrupted. "We have to go, like now."

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Julien snapped out of it. "Mort! We are going."

Isobel looked up and smiled goodbye. Her eyes looked brighter than usual, but it was probably because she was excited.

The trio left and returned to their habitat, only to wait in anticipation as tourist's sunglasses and sunburned faces glared at them.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

"Alright, this mission is ready to fly." Skipper announced. The crate was already on the back of the waiting delivery truck. The label said: **Shipping from Madagascar; CAUTION, wild animal in crate. **

Isobel was huddled in a corner of the crate, her green eyes glowing.


	42. New Addition

Chapter 42: New Addition

The truck pulled up to where Alice was waiting in the delivery booth.

Alice saw the single crate. "Just one?"

"Yeah," the Bronx driver said, "I don't remember picking it up, but it's already there, and I get paid by the hour."

"Let me see the tag." Alice walked over and read the label. Her eyes widened. "Wild animal? Madagascar?" She looked at the driver. "It's a small crate, I'll take it myself."

Isobel's heart beat faster as Alice picked up the crate and began walking into the zoo. The driver threw the truck in reverse and backed out of the zoo's gate.

As Alice walked in the direction of the lemur habitat, she stared closer at the box and gave it a shake. Isobel stumbled and clasped her hand over her mouth.

"Hmm." Alice said, unsure. "Are you alive in there?"

Isobel thought fast and chirped. Alice shrugged her shoulders and approached the habitat. She entered the enclosure, the other lemurs hiding away from her gaze. Alice intended to stay and watch the new creature come out, but her radio buzzed.

"Uh, yo, Alice, aren't you supposed to be cleaning the windows in the office?" A voice came over the radio.

Alice sighed irritably and answered, "All right! I'm on my way."

She left as Isobel was searching for the spot that would open the crate. Cautiously, the other lemurs emerged. Maurice stayed back, and when Mort tried to keep following Julien, Maurice held him back.

"Blast it, Skipper!" Came Isobel's muffled voice. She was talking out loud to herself. "You said the sixth nail from the top." She climbed up. "Of course, it's the third one. I can't imagine why-" The nail slipped out easily and the door came down. Isobel was hanging upside down in the crate. She let go feet first, and then let her hands go. "That was close."

The sun was lowering in the sky.

"So now you are the street legal." Julien told her. It was phrase he had also learned in this city.

"Illegally, yes." Isobel smirked. She knew how much tampering the penguins had done with the zoo's computer system. "That was awful." Isobel stretched her sore back. "She shook the box."

"Why?" Maurice came up to ask her.

"I don't know." Isobel shook her head. "Has she done the check up yet?"

"Not yet." Maurice shook his head.

It was Friday, so the zoo closed at 1630. This gave the staff an extra two hours to prepare for the crazy Saturday the next day. Alice quickly remembered that she hadn't done her usual check up yet. She grabbed her clipboard and began circling the zoo. She went to the penguins, the chimps, and came around to the lemurs. "Three lemurs; one small brown one, a fat grey one, one with a ringed tail. Che-"

She had just looked up from her clipboard. It was then that she noticed Isobel sitting up on top of the Lion Column, her legs dangling over the edge. Her earrings glittered, all the auburn in her fur was illuminated by the falling sun, and her eyes were luminous. Alice wrote this down. "And the newest addition is reddish and black and has six earrings…Weird. She is from Madagascar and unlike anything I have ever seen."


	43. Ta'li & The Tale of Violet Hill

Chapter 43: Ta'li & The Tale of Violet Hill

The sun was now low in the sky, and the blue twilight glowed. Isobel and Julien were taking another walk around the zoo. The lamps around the pathway were now lit, and Junebugs and moths flitted about them. All of the keepers had left long ago, and everything felt at peace.

Isobel saw the first few stars of the night. "Do you ever look up at the stars?" She asked Julien.

"I hardly ever notice them." Julien answered honestly. He usually had other things on his mind, often things that held little importance.

Isobel took a breath. "I always look at them. It is something I have always known Atlantis shared with the rest of the world. But here, they are not very bright. The city lights dim them."

Julien's ears twitched. "Just wondering, but why are your eyes so green?"

Isobel looked to him. She wanted deeply to trust these people. But she had been taught since childhood to trust no one with her secrets. And yet, she decided to tell Julien.

"I told you all of my parents who were from a far away place, as am I. My grandmother…Somehow I remember her better than anyone else…She was full Ta'li. Ta'li were a fierce band of warriors who lived in a deep, tropical forest. And they were often in the dark undergrowth. And so their eyes – my eyes – were so luminous to help them see in the dark. At least, this is what I have come up with in my mind. I have had no one to explain to me these wonders that separate me from the rest of you. My grandmother…She shows in me. This is what the king has told me. I suppose he knew her too." Isobel had so many questions of her own that the king had never told her. Someday, she would know.

All this time, Julien had been listening to her. He was utterly fascinated, and he was feeling strange flutters in his heart. Isobel stopped to look out to Violet Hill. Julien saw, and asked, "Why do you keep staring at that hill? It is only a hill."

"Come and I'll tell you." Isobel said mysteriously.

They hopped the wall and began walking straight for Violet Hill. The hill overlooked the rest of Central Park, and behind it was a smattering of trees still green with summer.

"Remember what I said about a single violet growing here?" Isobel asked after they had sat down. "There is a story to it. It's supposed to be told on Halloween…But it is dark now, so I suppose I can still tell it."

Julien waited in anticipation for her to start, wondering why it had to be told on Halloween.

"Long ago in France, when the roads were still made of cobblestone, there was a gypsy caravan passing through old Paris. They decided to stay a while and earn a few coins. So while the gypsies were unpacking, the lonely king, high in his tower, was watching, He was a young king, and constantly weary. And as he watched, someone caught his eye; it was a gypsy girl with raven hair, perhaps a couple years younger than he. He decided that she was beautiful, with her dark hair and earrings of gold."

Julien was already getting chills at the irony.

"He also decided that he would meet that girl." Isobel continued. "So later in the day, he disguised himself and went down to the city square. He saw her and asked her name. They began meeting each other daily, but the king's family quickly put a stop it, for they neither like nor trusted the girl. But on Halloween night, there was an unusual snowy spell. The gypsy girl was by herself in the square, watching the snow fall. The king met with her, and asked her to dance. 'But there is now music', she told him. And he told her there was indeed. 'It is the snow falling to the road, the stars humming, and your eyes glittering'. So they danced and passerby gathered in scattered groups to watch. But in one of the groups was the king's family. They banished him for being so rebellious, his title taken away. The girl, who had done nothing wrong, was sentenced to death."

Julien gasped and shifted. The story had taken a sudden turn.

"So, the next day, in the now blazing sun, the gypsy stood in a long line –with real criminals – awaiting her turn in the gallows."


	44. Dancing pt 1

Chapter 44: Dancing pt. 1

Isobel saw the horrified look on Julien's face.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "Is it too much?"

"No, it is good." Julien shook his head. "I cannot believe the king's family. They are so dumb. Please be telling me the rest."

"Alright." Isobel went on. "And so the gypsy's wrists were bound with red ribbon, symbolizing that she had committed a crime against the royal family. Her head was low, tears falling from her eyes. But suddenly, the other prisoners began to chant and riot, proclaiming blasphemy against the royal family. And once again, the girl was in the wrong place at the wrong time, because the soldiers pointed their guns at her first. And…Well, her innocent blood was spilled. And all this time, the banished king had been watching from a distance. He had always wished her could turn back time and save her. He died of heartbreak soon after. And so now, on Halloween night, in the largest cities of the world, you can see their ghosts dancing in the most central areas of the particular city. It's said that their feet plant the seed of the flower, and it arrives on the first day of spring the following year. And that is the tale of Violet Hill."

Julien turned his head away a bit to hide the single tear that fell from his eye. He quickly wiped it away.

Isobel looked tenderly at him. "What's the matter?"

"The story." Julien admitted. "You have even made the Sky Spirits so sad! It was that good, that they listened."

Isobel smiled slightly and sincerely. It was a story she had made up a few years ago, when someone had told her of the hill above them. "It is very…sweet that you have thought of it this way."

Julien looked at her. The moon was low in the sky, and the lights of the city were now fully glowing.

"Should we go back?" Isobel asked.

Julien remembered what she had said earlier, and said, "We could stare at the stars." But when he looked up, the stars that he thought were glittering were not there.

"I wish that we could." Isobel sighed.

Julien's ears perked up as he had a better idea. "Let's go dancing. You must see our parties."

Isobel smiled at him. "Let's."

**I decided to split this chapter into 2 parts…Not really sure why. :p But yeah, I'll update as soon as I can. Thank you so much for reviewing, treemist! I'm glad you could picture Alice's face. :p I wasn't sure how to describe it. **


	45. Dancing pt 2

Chapter 44: Dancing pt. 2

"Yay! Dancing!" Mort was excited when Julien and Isobel returned and announced their plans for a dance party.

Maurice turned on the radio and the colorful lights. The music was upbeat, but Isobel hung back, waiting for the right song. Of course, her hour of radio earlier was not enough to learn every song, but she knew enough about it now to know which songs she could dance best too. Julien was fine with this, as he wanted a chance to show off. Maurice and Mort were in to it for once, not feeling forced to join in on the dancing. Things had been good. Maurice was glad that Julien had lightened up (and therefore been getting on his nerves less often), and Mort was just happy to see his king happy.

Three full songs passed, and because of the tempo, Maurice and Mort were already getting tired. But Julien wasn't; he was waiting for Isobel.

Then, the right kind of song that Isobel had been waiting for. A fast-paced beat started up, and the rapid fire lyrics of a man with a thick Jamaican accent came on. Isobel jumped up. She had caught the last bits of another song from the same artist earlier, and the radio DJ had said it was by someone named Sean Paul.

Maurice also knew who it was and he threw his hands up and went to sit down. "Nope, I'm out. Can't keep up with that."

It only took Isobel a moment to get started. She was a whirlwind, leaving behind her current worries, and also leaving Julien at a loss. Her sudden outburst shocked him and he faltered, but soon he felt the beat too and was able to catch up with her. Both of them found their past knowledge of tribal dances to be most helpful in dancing along to fast songs. Soon, that song was over, and another started up. Isobel and Julien whirled past each other quite a few times, and glanced at each other in happy bewilderment each time. The colored lights splashed over them elegantly, energizing them all the more. Mort had gone to sit with Maurice, and they both had their eyes glued on the pair. It was quite a spectacle. Several more songs passed, and Julien and Isobel became tired. They both fell back on the grass near Maurice and Mort.

"Man, girl!" Julien exclaimed. "How do you do that?"

Isobel laughed, also a bit out of breath. "It is a gift! And a lot of practice."

"The penguins said a while ago that you can sing too." Julien added.

Isobel shrugged. "I suppose so."

Julien rolled over and propped himself up on his elbows. "The people are coming tomorrow. Lots of them, because of their week-end."

"That could serve interesting." Isobel smiled. "I can't wait."

"And Marlene is coming back from Calee-for-neea on Sunday."

Isobel looked at him, her smile bigger. "Finally! Another girl to talk to."

**Kinda short, but it was a second part. So…these upcoming chapters are gonna get crazy. :o There are…12 more chapters. **


	46. Red Balloon

**Treemist- I know, only twelve more. ): But, fret not! :D Not only do I have a sequel, there is even a third book in process. My ideas for this group are endless. Also, I love that you love this story. Cos, I love this story. Like it makes me so happy. It's one of those stories I'm proud of. **

Chapter 45: Red Balloon

After a restful night's sleep, Isobel awoke early. She sat up a little on the throne, and saw that the others were still asleep. She didn't get up right away, as she felt a bit sore from last night's dance-a-thon, and also in need of a bath. She figured there would be no grandiose bathhouse or even a simple river. The zoo's restroom would have to do. So she slunk away to the restroom, and managed to push the door open. The lights flickered on at the motion of the door opening. Isobel hopped up onto the sink, and carefully removed her earrings, setting them on the edge. She took a quick bath, using some of the hand soap to scrub (of course this was nothing like sandalwood oil, but when in Rome…) and turning the faucet on warm so it would feel a little more like a real bath. She turned off the water, and put her earrings back in. She shook off a bit, and by the time she had walked back, she was already mostly air dried. Still, the others had not woken up. She glanced at the zoo clock and saw that it was 630. The zoo opened at 700 on Saturday. Some of the zookeepers were walking in and out of the staff room. Isobel heard a stirring and saw that it was Mort. He saw her and smiled sleepily.

"Hi." He waved.

"Good morning." Isobel said quietly.

Julien and Maurice woke up shortly after.

"So," Julien said as he approached Isobel, adjusting his crown, "Are you ready for the people, pretty lady?"

Isobel laughed lightly and nodded. "Yes. I hope that they like me."

"Of course they will." Julien promised her. "If you can impress a king at first glance, no doubt you will be winning all the peasant people over."

Isobel smiled at him as soon as the bell tolled.

"People time!" Mort announced loudly.

Isobel took a deep breath. She was ready.

The keys jingled in the lock, and excited people slipped through the ajar gate. The aroma of sunblock, bubblegum, and popcorn filled the air. Isobel was unsure of what to do, although it was obvious that the other lemurs were professionals at entertaining people, so she sat on the edge of the lion column and swung her legs. People looked at her, and she was not sure if they though she was odd or marvelous. Shutters clicked and sunglasses were removed. Excited murmurs moved through the crowd at seeing the new addition. Isobel saw a little boy with a red balloon. He waved his little hand at her. She waved back gingerly. The boy smiled and held his balloon out. Isobel looked around before jumping down. She walked towards the wall, the other lemurs pausing to look at her. She climbed up the wall and looked down at the young boy. He handed his balloon to her, and she smiled broadly, elated that someone did like her. But her smile showed her fangs, and the boy's mother was quick to react, pushing her son back.

"Don't touch that creature!" She scolded. "It could bite you!"

Julien narrowed his eyes, and was about to waltz up to the lady and give her the what for, but Maurice held him back.

Isobel was hurt that they didn't like her after all, and offered the balloon back.

The boy shook his head. "It's okay, it's yours. Like a present."

Isobel sighed and tied the balloon to a post on the wall before jumping off back into the habitat.

"Oh, what'd you have to do that for?" Someone asked the lady.

"Well…" The lady stammered. "It's not like she understood me."

But Isobel had certainly understood, and she felt humiliated. She leapt behind a shrub to hide from their gazes. She knew she had to go back to Atlantis now. She hadn't meant to cause trouble.


	47. Surprising the People

Chapter 46: Surprising the People

Julien looked daggers at the lady before going after Isobel. Mort did the same, and Maurice shook his head, following.

"Mommy, you hurt her feelings." The little boy said softly.

Julien peered into the shrub and saw Isobel with her face buried in her hands.

"Isobel?" He said quietly. "I told you they would like you, but of course we get the snootiest snootypants as our first guest, so I'm sorry. Could you try it again?"

"Yeah," Maurice helped with encouraging, "That kid gave you a gift, so that's a good sign, you know?"

Isobel lifted her head up and sniffed. "Yes, I will try again."

She came out of the bushes with Julien's help (and Mort's; he held onto her fingertips).

"Hey, look, they're coming back!" Someone in the crowd said.

Isobel paused, but kept coming forward.  
>Chatter went through the people, and it was clear that they were wondering if she could do anything special.<p>

Isobel thought hard, and she remembered her skills in magic. A smile touched her lips, and she closed her right fist. When she opened it, a red cloth unraveled from it. People gasped and waited. Isobel smiled, twisting the cloth around herself before disappearing. The red cloth was left, but Isobel was gone. Everyone looked around crazily for her. Isobel whistled from high above their heads in a palm tree. They clapped as she shimmied back downwards and raced over to Mort. She pulled a golden coin from out behind his ear. She tossed it up into the air, and caught it in her closed hands. When she opened them up, rings of gold and sapphire appeared. She threw them to the crowd, and they eagerly reached out to catch them. Isobel knew they wanted more, and so she jumped back up onto the wall, walking towards the balloon. Taking one swift scratch, she popped it and out flew a bird of paradise, its long green and pink feathers dancing around as it glided off. She then took the balloon string and tied it into a knot, and from the knot came a new, shiny white balloon. She handed it off to the little boy.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed, his little blue eyes going wide.

Whistles were heard and shutters went off. Now for the finale:

Isobel jumped back onto the lawn, and slowly transformed into the white cobra. She balanced herself and hissed non-threateningly at the people. She changed back, and laughed at the astonished looks on their faces. Then they exploded in cheer, and Isobel bowed gratefully, her earrings catching the sun. Many compliments from the people were thrown Isobel's way, and with each compliment, Isobel's confidence and happiness grew, and Julien couldn't agree more with the people.

But from within the crowd, an angry zookeeper pushed her way to the front.

"There's something unusual about you!" Alice shouted at Isobel. "You have to go see the vet!"

Isobel felt her heart jump into her throat as she flattened her ears and backed away a bit. _Great. _


	48. The Vet

Chapter 47: The Vet

The crowd instinctively parted for Alice. She entered the habitat with two crates in her hands, approaching Isobel. Julien jumped protectively in front of Isobel, and this took Alice aback. She paused.

"Soo, you don't want your new friend to leave, do you?"

Julien narrowed his eyes at her, as there was not much else he could do.

Alice raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well you have to come too. The vet will need one normal subject to test against her."

Alice caught Julien by surprise and tossed him into a crate. She tried to do the same with Isobel, but Isobel snarled at her, and came close to biting into her fingers. But Alice had experience with aggressive animals, and she managed to stuff Isobel in a crate too. Alice toted them off roughly to the vet's office. Isobel had hoped she would never be in a crate again, but here she was, and she hated every second of it. They finally arrived, and Alice set the crates on the examination table. The veterinarian came out, ready for his patients. He looked at Alice.

"Lemurs." Alice began explaining. "The one on the left is a vicious little thing, so watch out."

Isobel tried to peer out between the slats, but she could only see flashes, and the white of the vet's coat.

"Okay then." The vet nodded. "So what seems to be the problem?"

"The vicious one is quite strange." Alice said. "The other one is normal…Mostly."

"Ah, the one on the left is new on my charts." The vet remarked. "Uh…female from Madagascar?"

"I guess." Alice shrugged.

The vet opened up the right crate first. Julien peered up at him, looking a bit mad, as this was no way for a king to be handled. Then the vet opened up the other crate, and he was met with Isobel's snarling jaws.

The vet looked down his nose at her. "This one has fangs. So that is one abnormality."

He tried to reach down into the crate, but Isobel swatted at him. "We may have to sedate this one." He cautioned.

Julien shot a pleading look at Isobel, and she settled down a bit. The vet was then able to get a better look at her fangs and peer into her eyes with a little light. He looked back at Alice. "Yes, I will keep them here for today to run some simple tests: hearing, reflexes, eyesight, and probably some blood samples."

Julien shrank back at that.

"Alrighty then, see ya later, doc." Alice left quickly.

The vet began his tests by first turning off the lights. He went to the back of the room and tapped on the counter lightly with his pen. Isobel spun around, but Julien's ears only swiveled. Then the vet took out a laser pointer. He shone it on the wall and watched as Isobel's head and eyes quickly darted to follow the light, while Julien soon lost sight of it. He went through a couple more tests, and then turned the lights back on. It was time for a blood sample. He took Isobel's first. He noticed it was a little brighter than it should've been. She had no problem with the needle, although she had never had blood taken before. It made her feel slightly woozy. Julien looked like he might faint, and Isobel whispered encouragements to him, just as he had for her earlier. The vet sent out his samples, and was pleased to find out that he would get results in a just a few hours.

**I know, not a lot happening. But it's all part of the story. Like...a go-between chapter. **


	49. Results

Chapter 48: Results

An hour later, Julien and Isobel were leaning back in their crates. They could not leave until the vet had his results. The fans in the room were not doing too much to help with the stagnant air. Although fall was fast approaching, it was 92 degrees outside.

"Tell me about Madagascar." Isobel told Julien quietly.

Julien settled into his memories. "The beaches are so white, and the water is so blue it is like…well, it is like the penguin's eyes, if that helps."

Isobel smiled. It did help to paint the picture. "Tell me of the jungle."

Julien continued. "Well, we have some crazy looking things there – and I do not just mean Maurice, ahaha – but like the tree we live in isn't like the ones here. And the flowers are so lovely and are smelling so sweet." _Like you. _He thought. "And every night, we have the parties! There are many more of us, so it is much more fun."

Isobel nodded. "It sounds wonderful there. So, Marlene is coming back tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Julien said.

"She is nice, from what you've told me."

"Yes, but she has no opinion for herself." Julien waved his hand. "She is agreeing with everyone too much."

The vet and Alice came back into the room. The vet had a folder with him; the results. He flipped through it. "Well, Alice, there is not much to say. She has the predatory intelligence of a leopard, the eyesight of a falcon, and the hearing of a skittish deer. It looks like what we have is an amazing addition to our zoo. You can take them back now."

Alice "harrumph"ed, as she was peeved that the vet had not found anything. But she took them back to the habitat, dumping them out of the crates.

"That was an ordeal." Isobel said. "And for nothing! They will find nothing."

Julien looked at her, and then pulled her into a hug. He was just so glad it was over, and that Alice had not decided to send Isobel away for being different. She was shocked at first, but then returned the hug. They broke away, both smiling at each other.

Maurice cleared his throat. "So, what'd the vet do?"

They both jolted, forgetting that Maurice and Mort were there.

"He ran tests." Isobel explained.

"Did you pass?" Mort asked.

Isobel smiled at his innocence. "I would say so."

And so, with a questions answered, hours passed by. Night came, and Isobel lay on the throne. She was unable to sleep, for she had much on her mind.

"Isobel?" Julien asked as he looked up at her. He wasn't able to sleep either. "Why can't you sleep? The Sky Spirits have usually been generous with you with the sleeps."

Isobel turned her head. "My head is foggy, and I have a lot on my mind."

Julien nodded his, unsure of how to help. He stayed for a moment, and then went back down to the bouncy.

And off hiding in a tree was an eavesdropping Clopar. He had been watching for some time. His eyes were lit fiercely, and he growled lowly before retreating back to Atlantis.

"She should not be there." He whispered to himself. "She must come back. Those people she calls friends, they are nothing."

Isobel turned over, looked to the park, and dozed off. The moon was half full.


	50. Planning a Party

**Last time I put up new chapters, it didn't say that I'd updated. Weird...So hopefully it won't do that this time!**

Chapter 49: Planning a Party

Morning came soon enough. Julien rose and yawned, stretching out his arms. He turned towards the throne, and saw that Isobel was sound asleep. She probably had not slept well again. He got up and found a mango and a pomegranate. He left the pomegranate at the foot of the throne for Isobel. He went to sit on the edge of the lion column and watch the sunrise. Isobel had taught him to appreciate these things in life, such as the sun and the stars. She was teaching him that there were things bigger and more important than himself.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

"Alright, men, we have exactly one hour and fifteen minutes before Marlene arrives." Skipper was pacing back and forth in front of his team. "and I'm sure she will be expecting some sort f welcome back shenanigan. So what's our plan of attack?"

"We should have her favorite candy." Private suggested. "The kind with the cream in it."

"Will do." Skipper nodded. "And what about location? Décor?"

"It should be at her habitat." Kowalski said. "It just needs to be cleaned."

"And she likes flowers." Private piped up. "Perhaps some from the park?"

"Excellente, Private." Skipper agreed. "Kowalski, are you writing all this down?"

"The entire page is full, Skipper." Kowalski scribbled furiously.

"Alright, we're going to need the lemurs help." Skipper put his flippers on his hips. "Let's move out!"

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Isobel's eye blinked open, and she rubbed the sleep out of them. She looked around, and noticed the pomegranate. She jumped down and went to sit with Julien.

"Good morning." She said as she sliced open the pomegranate with her claws. She dug the seeds out and began to eat them.

"Morning." Julien replied between bites of mango.

Isobel took a breath, as though she were about to say something, but suddenly the penguins jumped up onto the column.

"Today is the day Marlene comes back." Skipper announced to them. "And we're planning a party for her arrival at her habitat. But we're in need of your assistance."

"Sure." Isobel said. "What needs to be done?"

"Rico and Kowalski are on candy duty." Skipper began to recite their plan. "Private is in charge of décor, and we were hoping you would do the floral arrangements. The other lemurs can clean."

Julien groaned. "As if."

Skipper continued talking. "And I'll supervise. We only have an hour left to do this."

"We're leaving, Skipper!" Kowalski called as he and Rico left.

"Where can I get clam shells?" Private wondered to himself.

"I'll go get those flowers from the park." Isobel jumped off the column.

Julien watched her go, a small smile on his face. Normally, Skipper would have rolled his eyes, but he was feeling sentimental today.

He sighed happily. "You really like her, don't you?"

"Who wouldn't?" Julien replied, a million thoughts running though his mind.

Skipper shook his head and smiled. "Wake your friends up and come to HQ." He then left to go back as well.

Julien walked up to Mort and Maurice. "Wake up, you lazies! We are planning a party in Marlene's honor or whatever."

Mort yawned as he opened his eyes. "Where's Isobel?"

Maurice stood up and cracked his back.

"Come," Julien said, beginning to walk away, "We must help the penguins."

"Marlene is coming back!" Mort jumped up excitedly.


	51. Carnations

**Treemist- Thank you ^_^ And I know, it will be over soon! But you still have the sequel to look forward to. :) **

Chapter 50: Carnations

Isobel was walking through the little forests of the park, picking flowers along the way. She found plenty of carnations. A viceroy butterfly on one of the carnations she had picked. She smiled warmly as it fluttered its wings slowly. Very carefully, she brought her finger close to its antennae, but it startled and flew up towards the trees. By watching it fly away, Isobel saw a pair of dark eyes watching her menacingly. She flattened her ears. "What, Clopar?"

Clopar hopped down from the tree. "You must come back."

Isobel held on tightly to the carnations. "I'm staying."

Clopar eyed the flowers. "What are those for?"

"None of your business." Isobel snapped.

"You have to come back on account of those people." Clopar said, unfazed. "Those 'friends' are nothing."

Isobel laid the carnations down and got face to face with Clopar, glaring up at him. She was angry, fire flashing in her emerald eyes. She spoke harshly in Atlantean. "Go back. You should not be here."

Clopar narrowed his eyes at her, also speaking their second language. "Then despair shall find you."

Isobel backed away. This was an awful curse. "Lies. I am safe from you. You will lose this fight you are trying to start."

A vicious snarl crossed Clopar's lips, his own fangs showing. "If you were not the king's daughter I would kill you here and now."

Isobel's heart beat harshly, but she managed a cool smile. "You may be able to form into a viper, but the cobra always wins."

Clopar growled and quickly formed into a three-horned viper. Isobel was swift and transformed as well. They lunged at each other, hissing and striking. Clopar came close to sinking his fangs into Isobel's hood, but she arched back and spat venom into his face. Clopar yelped and quickly formed back.

"You will come back!" Clopar shouted as he darted into the woods.

Isobel formed back, and shakily picked up her carnations. The fur on the back of her neck was bristled, and she glanced behind her shoulder before heading to the zoo.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Isobel found her way back to Marlene's habitat. The inside was now clean, and Private was almost finished with the banner. Isobel set the flowers in a vase with water. She glared into the water.

Julien came up beside her. "Why so angry?" he said in a joking way.

"I'm not." Isobel looked away.

He looked concerned at her, but did not question further.

Isobel shook off her ordeal, and then remembered that she was nervous about meeting Marlene.

"Skipper," Kowalski said, "Marlene was due here at 945. It is now 948."

"She'll be here any minute!" Skipper signaled everyone to hide.

Everyone hid, and finally Marlene came in, carrying her bag and a few parcels.

"Surprise!" Everyone shouted.

"Yay! Sur- ow!" Mort fell over again.


	52. All the Above

Chapter 51: All the Above

Marlene gasped. "You guys! This is – oh wow! You guys rock, you know that?"

Private rushed up to hug her. "How was California?"

"It was awesome!" Marlene set her bags down. "So much sun, and the people were great."

"Hi, Marlene!" Mort piped up.

"Heya, Mort." She smiled at the little lemur, and then looked to the other lemurs. She noticed there was one more than she was used to seeing. "Oh, hey, I never –"

"Isobel." Isobel walked up to Marlene, her hand extended. "I'm new here. To the zoo and to this city."

Marlene could tell that much from her accent. She shook her hand, paralyzed for a moment. And then she was excited, finally acknowledging that there was another female in the zoo.

"I'm Marlene." Marlene smiled broadly. "I mean, I'm sure you guessed that but, ya know. And this is great! I'm finally not the only girl here! Oh my gosh, all of the girl time I can finally have!"

"Take it easy, Marlene." Skipper chuckled. "Don't scare her away."

Isobel laughed, and Marlene gave her a once-over. She noted that this newcomer was full of grace, and she looked at her earrings, obviously priceless gems.

"Sorry, I'm really excited." Marlene smiled. "But it would be really cool if we could hang out sometime."

"I'd love to." Isobel smiled sincerely, glad to make another friend.

Marlene then turned her attention to the party that everyone had put together just for her. "Oyster shell banner, carnations, cream filled candy! You remembered everything."

"We try our best." Kowalski smiled.

"Okay, so what's been going on around here?" Marlene sat down and began eating some of her candies.

Skipper and Isobel glanced at each other, sharing hidden smiles. "Oh, you know, the usual."

"Alrighty then." Marlene went back to the candy dish.

The welcome back party dipped into the afternoon, and by then everyone was worn out with storytelling. Skipper had even shared his Russia story again, and Marlene finally coaxed out the story of their visit to Atlantis. Marlene was even more interested in her new friend now. When two o clock came around, only Marlene and Isobel were left.

"So you're the famous Marlene." Isobel went to sit with her.

"Huh?" Marlene looked at her while eating her last piece of chocolate.

"I'm only kidding." Isobel smiled. "But I did notice how you became a top priority the day before you arrived."

"Oh, yeah, those guys are great." Marlene smiled and even blushed a little as she waved it off. "So how long have you been here for?"

Isobel thought, remembering counting the slivers of the moon as it waxed and waned. "About a month."

"That's nice." Marlene nodded. "I hate to bother you with so many questions, but how could I not have any after Skipper's story? So, tell me about yourself."

Isobel nodded, and went through all of the same stories she had the penguins and Julien.

"Wow." Marlene breathed out. "That's crazy. So you have fangs, claws, and you can turn into a cobra?"

"All the above." Isobel nodded.

"I love your earrings by the way." The otter added.

"Thank you." Isobel said, her eyes aglow. "I suppose this is us…hanging out. What do you want to do?"


	53. Peanut Butter & Chocolate

**Treemist- Thanks ^_^ I'm really glad you liked it. **

Chapter 52: Peanut Butter & Chocolate

Marlene smiled, as she had been planning this in her head for a long time. "Do you know how to bake?"

Isobel smiled and shrugged. "I watched the bakers occasionally. But, I would be glad to help."

"Perfect." Marlene clapped her hands together and got up. She pulled out ingredients from her mini fridge, and began to make dough for cookies.

As they molded the peanut butter-chocolate chip dough into balls, Marlene decided to ask more questions.

"How do you feel about the Spanish guitar?"

"I like the sound of it." Isobel replied, not quite liking the sticky feel of the dough on her fingers.

Marlene smiled. "That's one thing we have in common. How do you feel about the zoo?"

Isobel laughed. "I like it. Everyone has been nice. Except for Alice."

"True, I don't know what her deal is." Marlene nodded.

They finished up with the cookies, and Marlene slid the pan into the oven. "One last question: How do you feel about the other lemurs?"

Isobel's ears flickered forward. "They are good people too. Mort is a little off, but he is so sweet."

"Mhm." Marlene agreed, but she had predictions of her own. "How about Julien?"

Isobel could feel a blush creep into her cheeks. That had certainly never happened to her before. "He has been a good friend to me."

Marlene crossed her arms, and raised a suspicious brow. "Uh-huh. So, do you like to sing, dance?"

"Very much." Isobel was glad for the subject change.

"I'm sure you're really good." Marlene said.

Isobel smiled slightly.

The timer dinged, and Marlene announced, "The cookies are done!"

The cookies were delicious, all the peanut butter and chocolate mixing into one.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

"Men, we haven't done this in a long while." Skipper said as he, his team, and the other lemurs walked about the zoo. "this whole strolling through the zoo, as, well, men."

"It does feel right, Skipper." Kowalski agreed.

"Precisely, Kowalski." Skipper nodded, his flippers behind his back.

"Skippa," Private piped up, "Now that Marlene is back, I think she and Isobel will be spending more time together."

"Exactly, Private. That means we can do manly things without them bothering us." Of course Skipper didn't really mean this. He quite liked having Isobel around. Not only did she have some strange effect on Julien which kept him off of Skipper's nerves, but he just had a good feeling about her. Also, he had respect for the way she had fought him in the park.

The others had similar feelings, but they agreed with Skipper to look tough.

But when the lemur trio got back to their habitat, Mort came undone.

"I miss Isobel!" He cried.

"Hush down, Mort!" Julien rolled his eyes. "It's been like one hour, keep it together. It's not like she left."

And he was right, for when the sun set, Isobel parted ways with Marlene. She walked back to her new home. She couldn't help twirling about every now and then. Today had been good. But she paused when she heard Mort's cries, and broke out into a run, vaulting the wall.

"What is wrong?" She asked as she approached Mort.

Mort saw her and cheered up a bit. "Oh! Isobel is back!"

Isobel hugged Mort as she on the cold grass with him and made a promise. "It's alright. I wouldn't ever leave you."


	54. Chapter 53 pt 1: Shooting Star

Chapter 53 pt. 1: Shooting Star

Mort sniffled a bit. Julien watched as he saw Isobel's softer side come out. She was as quick to be gentle as she was to let her claws out. Once Mort calmed down, he decided to tell Isobel something. She leaned her ear to his mouth, for he had said it was a secret.

He cupped his paws over his mouth and said, "I think King Julien would be sad if you left."

Isobel peered at Julien, smiled, and then turned back to Mort. She whispered, "Then tell him I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Okay." Mort smiled at her, enjoying their little game. He then spoke up so Julien could here. "She's leaving tomorrow."

"H-what?" Julien stammered, looking taken aback. "What'd I do?"

Isobel laughed. "You know he's joking."

Julien breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head. "Mort, you should not play these pranks on your king."

Isobel looked up at the sky. "Look! A shooting star! Make a wish."

Everyone shut their eyes to make their own wishes: Mort, of course, wished for a giant mango in the morning. Maurice wished for things to go the way they had been, because everyone had been happy lately, which secretly made him happy as well. Isobel wished for an adventurous life and to find answers to her shadowy past. And Julien simply wished for Isobel to want to stay forever.

Everyone opened their eyes. Julien quickly glanced at Isobel, and saw the tail-end of the shooting star gleam in her eyes.

Before long, night took its toll and everyone was fast asleep. The changing winds signaled that October would be arriving in just a few short days.

The penguins were all snoring loudly in their sleep. Marlene twisted in her sleep, having all sorts of dreams about swimming in the ocean in California, remembering the bright sunlight that made her eyes hurt and the water glitter. Mort, for once, dreamt of pomegranates instead of mangos. Isobel was curled up on the throne, dreaming of a faraway land. The entire zoo was at peace, and the crickets chirped in knowing this. And in the distant park, the leaves rustled in the trees, but it was not Clopar.

**Short chapter again, another one that I'm splitting into two parts. :p All I gotta say about this chapter is: foreshadowing. :o You'll know what I mean in the next couple of chapters**


	55. Chapter 53 pt 2: Captives

Chapter 53 pt. 2: Captives

The early dawn proceeded on, and the moon gave way to the sun. Isobel was already awake and on her way to the penguin's. She dove into the water, grateful for how cool it was. She jumped onto the platform, and entered through the fish bowl. It was dark inside. She suspected they were still asleep, which was unusual.

"Hello?" She called. "Are you awake?"

Something was not right, and the fur on the back of her neck went stiff. Someone was behind her in the shadows, and she thought it was Skipper. She spun around and slammed her fist into him for giving her such a fright. But whoever she hit snarled, and she felt fur. She knew penguins didn't have either of those qualities, and so she threw another blow. But whoever it was stopped her fist, and Isobel snarled as well, driving her thumbnail into the hand that trapped her own. They yelped and staggered back, and Isobel remembered that same yelp from yesterday.

"Clopar!" She yelled as pounced on him. "What have you done? Where are they?"

Someone turned the lights on, and she saw Clopar's smirk. She then turned her head and gasped when she saw her four friends, who were bound and unable to speak for the tape over their beaks.

"Mm! Mm!" Private and Kowalski tried calling to her.

Isobel tried to make a lunge for them, but Clopar caught her arms and twisted them behind her back. One of her shoulders popped, and she yelped, going down to her knees. Skipper struggled to stand, his heart leaping into his throat as adrenaline coursed through him, but he was held back. Private came close to tears when Isobel's hands were bound as well. For once, Clopar had won a fight.


	56. Never to be Forgotten

Chapter 54: Never to Be Forgotten

Isobel glared at Clopar angrily and said something in Atlantean.

Clopar smiled smugly. "It looks like you have a change of perspective. Instead of I being the one who loses, you have."

Isobel spat the venom of the cobra at his feet, and he yowled and jumped up in pain. But he recovered quickly and reached out to twist one of Isobel's earrings. She yelped and jerked away. Skipper stood, and he motioned for whoever was holding him back to let him. It was one of the mercenaries that had helped carry the penguins and Mort and Maurice to Atlantis.

"Let him speak." Clopar just about chuckled.

One of the sailors ungagged Skipper. He had a few choice words for Clopar.

"If I hadn't been tied up, I would have already roundhouse kicked you into next Tuesday!"

"Oh, if only you would have done that when we surprised you earlier." Clopar said, amused.

Skipper narrowed his eyes. "Why you –"

The sailor that had ungagged him jabbed him in the side, and Skipper groaned and doubled over.

"'Ippah!" Private's eyes went wide.

Isobel was smart, and so had squared out her wrists when they were being bound. She easily slid out of them, and raced to the sailor before anyone could react. She slugged him to the ground and rushed to Skipper's side.

"Skipper." She said, her voice full of emotion. She sliced his ropes and he slid to the ground. Rico growled at the oncomers and she quickly sliced his ropes as well. He took out his own gag and began to defend his friends.

Isobel looked to where the sailor had jabbed Skipper, right above his kidney and slightly towards his abdomen. Isobel winced, knowing how tender this particular spot was. A bruise was beginning to form.

Clopar lunged for Isobel, and she saw him too late. She screamed, feeling defenseless.

Rico whipped around, and saw what was happening. He barreled straight into Clopar. Isobel was freed, and she went to untie Private and Kowalski, and then back to Skipper's side. He was breathing. He opened his eyes a tad.

"Skipper?" Hope rose in Isobel's voice.

"Alright, three of you are coming with me." Clopar exclaimed, fire in his eyes and voice. "I don't care who it is. It's for ransom. We take three of you prisoner until Isobel comes back."

"I will never come back so long as you are there!" Isobel looked daggers at him.

"Then they'll be our prisoners for all time." Clopar said ominously.

Isobel looked to the penguins, who had paused mid-fight. She then looked back to Clopar.

"Please, let me speak with them."

Clopar considered this, and then nodded his approval.

The penguins huddled around Isobel and Skipper. Her eyes were moist, and at first, no one spoke.

"We'll go for you, Isobel." Private offered quietly, a few tears already sliding down his cheeks.

"No." Isobel shook her head. "I should not have brought this upon you. I must fix it."

"Don't go." Kowalski's eyes began to well.

"Iz." Rico's voice was barely a whisper.

"No, men." Skipper spoke up. He could feel himself regaining strength already. "If she wishes, let her be."

"Thank you, Skipper." Isobel began tearing up. She would now have to begin her parting words.

"Good bye, Private. You're such an honest boy, and remarkably sweet. Don't let this world change that about you. Good bye, Kowalski. Remember what I told you about being a rare kind. Never stop inventing. You could change this world. And Rico…You're one of a kind too. You are the one who found me. You cannot imagine how much joy has come to me since then. Skipper." Isobel stifled a sob, pausing for a moment to catch herself. "Skipper, you have a good heart. You would give yourself up for any of your closest friends. But you knew that I must do this. Always, I will respect that." She then surprised them all with a kiss on the sides of their beaks. Their hearts lurched with sorrow, for their current emotions would not allow for a blush. Already, she was being led away.

"Tell Marlene she was a great friend." She spoke louder before she was out of ear shot. "Tell Mort I am so sorry for breaking my promise, telling him I would never leave. And tell Julien not to doubt himself. He would make such a fine king in his country. I will never forget any of you."

And she was gone.

The penguins bowed their heads in silence. Never would they forget her; and by Skipper's mark, they would never leave her behind.

After their silenced cry, Skipper spoke up, standing up, his bruise blooming. But he would not let that hinder him. "Brothers, we must help our noble friend escape. She would, and did, do the same for any of us. So who is with me?"

He held out his flipper, and instantly everyone piled theirs onto his.

"Then let the battle begin."


	57. Swash-Buckling Hero

**Treemist- Sorry about that. :p I hope the following chapters will help you smile again! **

Chapter 55: Swash-Buckling Hero

Mort was crying inconsolably when the tragic news was brought to him and the other lemurs. Maurice was truly saddened, as he had grown fond of Isobel. Julien was beside himself, pacing about as the penguins explained everything.

"She said that?" He stopped to look at Skipper. He was referring to what Isobel had said about him being a fine king.

Skipper nodded. "Yes, she said many other things as well –"

"Skipper, we're losing time." Kowalski interjected nervously.

"Right." Skipper snapped back. "So are you lemurs in?"

"I am." Julien straightened, for once looking as a king should. "Mort, Maurice, you must stay here. Now, let us go and save my princess."

"You know she doesn't like being called that." Private piped up as they all rushed towards the park.

"She is still one to me." Julien muttered, the ends of his crown quavering.

It was difficult to tell who was leading: Julien or Skipper. They reached the dense undergrowth, and a rustling in the trees could be heard.

"High alert." Skipper warned as they assumed their attack positions.

And leaping from the trees came a valiant Captain Jack Starling. The penguins did not know him, but Julien recognized him straight away. Jack tipped his hat at Julien, as he remembered him as well.

"Are the birds going to attack me?" Jack asked him.

"It may be necessary." Skipper eyed him suspiciously. "That is, if you're a part of Isobel's kidnapping."

"Daisy sprouts!" Jack exclaimed. "That's why I'm here. Oh, my poor sister, what a venomous creature Clopar is to have stolen her away from here. And fear not, I am here to assist you in the rescue of said lovely damsel. I know where Clopar has gone. Follow me."

The penguins followed their guts and trusted the captain, walking behind him as he led the way. He chopped away at some vines that were covering a huge boulder with his sword.

"Help me move this." He sheathed his sword and everyone stepped forward. They all pushed the boulder and it moved aside. They slid it back shut after entering the dark tunnel. Jack struck a match against a wall and used to light a torch that was in its sconce. He took the torch out and began leading the way again. "Come this way!"

"He's a real swash-buckling hero." Private whispered to Skipper.

"I'd hold up on that decision of character, young Private." Skipper whispered back.

They came to a fork in the tunnel. Jack looked both ways before choosing the tunnel on the right.

"How are sure you've chosen correctly?" Kowalski asked him.

"I have lived here since childhood." Jack replied, his English accent thick. "I believe I know my way about."

Finally, they made their way to the very outskirts of the city. Absolutely no one was there, because there was nothing out this far, and it was just about pitch black.

"By chance, have any of you got a flare?" Jack asked them.

Rico hacked up a flare and passed it to Jack. Jack opened it and threw it aways ahead. They could see shallow water and an embankment on the other side, covered in muddy footprints.

"Ah." Jack nodded like he'd just figured something out. "So our journey has only begun."


	58. Clopar's Plan

**Treemist - See, Jack can lift anyone's mood. :p I do like writing his character, as with any of my characters. **

Chapter 56: Clopar's Plan

Along Isobel and her captors walked, the only light coming from Clopar's torch. Isobel's wrists were bound again, but only she knew that with a swift motion she would be free again. No one spoke for fear of being heard. They were walking up an incline, and they cast huge shadows against the sandstone walls. Isobel expected to never see her friends again, and her heart felt heavy. Clopar looked back at her, and for a moment it looked like empathy warmed his eyes.

"You're better off without them." He said.

Isobel then glared at him. "Why have you taken me anyway?"

The coldness was back in Clopar's eyes and he turned around to watch where he was going. "We have business elsewhere. As a princess, you pose a handsome ransom."

Isobel shifted as her eyes went a little wide. This was going south very quickly.

Clopar continued. "There are things that I want, Isobel, and you will be my token to getting them. So we are leaving Atlantis, and New York, and America all together, to a place far away."

"What will happen when father notices my absence and yours? He will send his machines of war after you." Isobel questioned him.

Clopar grinned at her in an unnerving way. "By the time they notice anything, we will be halfway across the Atlantic. And the next time they hear from me, it will be a declaration of war."

Isobel gasped. She had no idea what devious plans he had cooked up. But now her mind was racing. Halfway across the Atlantic? How? _Could he have meant…_

Suddenly, they were at the top of a slope, looking down into an abandoned harbor. In the harbor was a grand, but old, Atlantean ship, leftover from Vikings of long ago. The paint was beginning to wear, but Isobel recognized this vessel: It was the ship that had brought her to Atlantis after her parents died. Her heart lurched in her chest as memories flooded her. They were approaching the ship quickly. Isobel knew every detail, from the fearsome water-dragon figurehead to the Chinese lanterns that swung about the stern. The red and green paint was not nearly as rich as it had been over a decade ago, but she could see it all in her mind.

Clopar untied her wrists, as he knew she would not try to run now.

"Let's go."


	59. Chapter 57: Tricorn Hat

**So...I kindof miscalculated when I said there were only twelve chapters left. :p We still have at least a few more. **

Chapter 57: Tricorn Hat

Jack led the way through the murky water they had seen from the light of the flare. He was nervous and kept twitching his ears for sounds. Skipper noticed this. "What's the matter?"

Jack swallowed. "Didn't you notice how there were more tracks on the dry side of the embankment?"

The group huddled closer together as their feet splashed in the water. Something else in the water moved.

Jack swung his torch around. "It's right under-"

A crocodile-like jaw snapped out of the water.

Private and Julien shrieked. "Yipe!"

"Evasive maneuvers!" Skipper ordered

A large bunch of the crocodile-like creatures were huddled some ways away in the water. They hissed and snapped, ready to swim towards them.

"Rico, grenade me!" Skipper said.

Rico threw him a grenade. Skipper removed the pin from the grenade and tossed it into the group of creatures where it exploded. One of the creatures came up from under Jack, and he dropped the torch; they were in complete darkness.

A few minutes later, the penguins and Julien made it to shore.

Skipper struck a match. "Alright, sound off!" He said.

Only four replies came.

"Skipper." Kowalski walked towards his leader, his eyes downcast. "Jack is missing."

He handed Jack's tricorn hat to Skipper. The ostrich feather on it seemed to droop.

Skipper gingerly took the hat. He came closer to the group so he could see them all with the minimal light that was emitted from the match. Private sniffed sadly.

"It seems," Skipper began, "that all heroes' lives end in tragedy. Jack Starling-"

Kowalski cleared his throat. "_Captain_ Jack Starling."

"Yes, Captain Jack Starling," Skipper continued, "was a courageous and valiant soul who-"

"Oh, why did he have to go so young?" Julien interrupted as he collapsed onto Rico, who pushed him off.

"Anyway!" Skipper said loudly, his brow lowered. "A courageous and valiant soul who lived for adventure and sought to aide us in our quest of-"

Jack came up from behind Skipper and used his match to light another torch.

"What are you doing with my hat?" He plucked it from Skipper's flippers and placed it back on his head, the ostrich feather bouncing again.

Everyone called out in joy that he had returned.

"But we thought that…" Skipper shook his head. "We were about to pay our proper respects to you."

Jack laughed. "You still can, of course."

"We should continue moving." Kowalski urged them. Rico nodded in agreement.

"And onward!" Jack marched along ahead.

They trekked over the same trails Isobel and her captors had crossed. And soon, they too could smell the mildew and salty air of the old harbor.


	60. Chapter 58: Rescuing a Damsel

**Treemist- Yes, I did use Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean for reference. :p But I got the last name 'Starling' from the last name of a doctor in a thriller movie called The Ghost and the Darkness. **

Chapter 58: Rescuing a Damsel

It was gloomy and dank in this harbor, and it certainly matched Isobel's mood. The lanterns on the ship glowed warmly, but to Isobel they seemed as cold as ice. Her wrists were free again, but she still felt chained. The sailors boarded the ship by climbing up the ropes that had been thrown down to them. Isobel closed her eyes and breathed in the air. To others, it would have smelled only of what was there; salt, age, and muck. But to her, all of the scents of Atlantis filled her; sandalwood, vanilla, fresh water, sizzling food, cinnamon, lotus flowers…home. She sniffed and a tear fell from her eye and dropped to the dock below her. She opened her bright emerald eyes, which were losing their luster in her sorrow.

"Come along." Clopar told her as he gestured to the ropes they had to climb.

Isobel took a shaky breath and stepped forward. She took a hold of the rope and climbed up and onto the deck. No one helped her up. She took a few steps more, and thought of turning back for one last look. She could not bear it, and turned away. She huddled down near some barrels by the railing and began to weep. Clopar came up onto deck.

"Cast off!" He ordered.

The mooring lines were cut, and the dragon ship began to drift slowly away from the dock. Suddenly there was a bump against the ship.

"What was that?" Clopar furrowed his brow, nervous.

"We scraped the dock, sir." A deckhand explained. "My apologies."

Clopar 'humph'ed and walked further down the deck.

Even in her state of emotion, Isobel knew something was off. They had not hit anything; something had hit them. She felt the presence of loyalty around her. She wiped away her tears and sat up. Where was this strange feeling coming from? She stood up on quickly found sea legs, and cautiously walked over to the railing where the ropes that she had climbed on would have been. She leaned over and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest; stuck on a peg was her brother's hat. She knew they would save her. This was the sign he had given her. She plucked the hat from the peg and trotted back over to her sitting place. She made sure the hat could not be seen.

A sailor was walking up to her. He stopped in front of her, a smug grin on his face, hands on his hips.

"You haven't an idea where you're going, do you?" He laughed. "Off to an island in the Atlantic. A deserted one at that."

Isobel shook her head at his stupidity. Apparently Clopar had not shared his plan with the crew. "No," she stood up tall and proud, Jack's hat in her hand, "I am coming back home." She placed the tricorn hat on her head, the ostrich feather dangling.

A quizzical look passed over the sailor's face, and then he fell forward. Skipper was behind him in a fighting stance.

"Skipper." Isobel whispered so as not to alert the other sailors, her eyes gleaming. "You all came back for me."

Skipper straightened up, a grin on his face. "You're one of us, and we could never leave you behind."

Someone landed on deck behind Isobel and she whirled around, smacking Jack in the face with the ostrich feather. "Jack!" She said as quietly as she could.

He grinned in his old witty way and asked, "Might I have my hat back, sister dear?"

"Oh, Jack, just this once?" Isobel batted her pretty eyes.

"Fine, fine, but we've got to hurry out of here." Jack looked about.

"Where are the others?" Isobel said quietly as she turned around as well.

Skipper stood close to her and Jack, and he whispered to her, "Rico and Kowalski are below deck, rigging up some explosives. Once those are set, we'll have five minutes to spare to jazz it outta here. Private and Ringtail are on land waiting for us with the torch. Now, where's Clopar? I'd like to teach him-"

"Skipper, no!" Isobel warned. "We will leave him to his fate. If you intervene we will not make it."

Skipper took one look into her eyes and knew she meant it. And then Isobel did a strange thing; she gave Skipper a hug and said, "I've missed you all."

"It's only been a couple hours." Skipper turned red.

Isobel pulled back and smiled. "Like a thousand years to me."

"How touching." Clopar sneered.

Isobel, Skipper, and Jack looked up. They were outnumbered three to six. Jack unsheathed his sword, narrowing his eyes. Skipper narrowed his eyes, and he and Jack stepped defensively in front of Isobel.

Clopar shook his head, his eyes narrowed as well. "Isobel, must we go through this again?"

Isobel stepped out from behind Jack and Skipper. She raised her head in defiance. "You are not taking me anywhere, Clopar. It is here with the people that truly love me that I am home."

Clopar seemed to burn with rage. He spoke to the sailors, "Seize them!"


	61. Chapter 59: Explosives

Chapter 59: Explosives

Jack started up a sword fight with one of the sailors, clashing and thrashing. Skipper took on two others. Another tried to lunge for Isobel but Jack caught him. Isobel fought for herself when the fifth sailor came around. They were unevenly matched, the sailor being the weaker fighter. Isobel knew they were winning, until she heard the skittering of a sword across the deck. She turned and saw that Clopar also had a sword, and he had knocked Jack's out of his hand. He was blocking Jack's path to his sword. Skipper was already engaged in combat two to one and was unable to assist him. Isobel knew she had to help her brother. She tripped the one she had been fighting with and he fell over the railing of the ship. She raced towards Jack's sword, dove at it and scooped it up, barrel rolling on the deck and standing back up. Clopar turned about and gave her a searing look. She bared her teeth at him and snarled. He began advancing towards her. Isobel grasped the braided and grand pommel of the sword, and she and Clopar clashed. The sound of metal on metal rang out in the air. Jack had only taught Isobel basic swordsmanship and a couple of tricks, but Clopar was very skilled. One of his swings was forceful, and Isobel's wrist nearly popped. He finally knocked the sword from her hand, and she was backed up against the rail. Neither Jack nor Skipper could aide her for they were held up by the four other sailors. They had never felt so helpless. They had come far in their journey, and it could end at any moment.

"It's come to this." Clopar said.

Isobel's back was to the railing, and her nails were leaving marks in it.

"Just come with us, and your friends will be set free unharmed." Clopar continued. "That's all."

Isobel swallowed, and glanced at the murky water below her. She stared back at Clopar. The sword was so far away. She looked at Skipper and Jack as they fought on bravely. There was no sign of Kowalski or Rico.

Isobel had to act quickly. _I have made it this far, surely I can go on_.

And with that, she made a back-flip off of the railing and into the water below. The sailors, Jack and Skipper ceased their fighting when they heard the splash.

"No!" Clopar cried out in anger as he looked over the railing. They all looked over the railing.

Isobel could not see a thing beneath the ship, and her heart beat fast in fright. She held tightly onto Jack's hat. Once she had passed under the ship, she began to resurface on the other side. She emerged silently, and quietly scaled the side of the ship, and back over the railing. Everyone else was still looking over the railing and they had their backs to her. She was very light on her feet, and without a sound she retrieved her brother's sword.

"Looking for me?" She asked boldly.

They all jumped and turned towards her. There was a snarl on Clopar's face. But Jack beat him to it and raced to his sister's side.

"Take this." Isobel told Jack quickly as she began to move away, but not before placing the hat back on his head. "I'm going to look for Rico and Kowalski."

"Don't worry, we'll take care of these ones." Jack replied swiftly. "Be careful."

Isobel raced below deck. She knew the best place to rig an explosive on the ship was directly below the mast. She trotted down the stairs and tore through the storage. The lanterns hanging from the ceiling swayed with the ship. The small waves in the harbor pushed on the stationary ship.

"Kowalski?" She whispered. "Rico?"

"Isobel?" Kowalski replied, looking right at her. He was wearing a head lamp, multiple wires in his flippers.

"Iz!" Rico said excitedly. He was also wearing a headlamp and he had a roll of electrical tape, two matches, and fuses.

Isobel's spirits lifted and she hunkered down near them. "How can I help?"

"Here." He gave her a bundle of wires. "Hold these while I used adhesive to bind them together. Rico, pass me that bonding strip."

Rico handed him the tape, a fuse in his beak. He attached the fuse to some red sticks of homemade dynamite.

Isobel held the wires and Kowalski quickly wrapped the electrical tape around them.

"Thanks." He took them back and attached them to a large stack of T.N.T. "Set the timer, Rico."

Rico set the timer that was part of the dynamite for 5 minutes. Kowalski picked up a match.

"Would you like to do the honors, Isobel?"

Isobel reached for the match, but she stopped. "This is the ship that brought me to Atlantis."

Kowalski and Rico looked at each other. Kowalski's beak parted, "I'm so-"

"But now it harbors my enemies." Isobel took the match and struck it on the board of the deck.

"Light those two fuses." Kowalski instructed her.

She did as she was told, and the sparks began to crawl up the fuses.

"Now, Rico!" Kowalski commanded.

Rico hit the START button on the timer.

"Let's blitz." Kowalski urged them, removing his headlamp.


	62. Chapter 60: Leaving a Brother Behind

Chapter 60: Leaving a Brother Behind

The trio raced back through the storage and up the staircase. They appeared on deck, breathing hard. The battle between Skipper, Jack, Clopar, and the sailors was still going. Rico wasted no time in bulldozing towards the sailors. Kowalski and Isobel began running towards them to help.

Isobel fought side-by-side with Skipper, Rico and Kowalski fought together, and Jack took on Clopar alone, for he was the one with the sword. Luckily, the sailors gave up the fight easily, and they lay knocked-out on the deck.

Jack continued to parry valiantly against Clopar. He turned for a split-moment to the penguins. "Take my sister! I'll be right behind you."

Isobel gasped. "Jack!"

"Leave, Isobel!" Her brother told her sternly.

Kowalski and Skipper took Isobel's arms and started to pull her towards the railing. Their time was running out. Rico had already jumped overboard and was swimming back towards port.

Clopar saw them escaping, and his eyes burned with fire. "No!" He fought harder against Jack, his strength waning. His sword clanked roughly with Jack's, and Jack winced. Clopar took this moment of distraction and used his sword to trip him. Jack toppled back, sword still in hand.

Now Isobel's eyes burned with fire. She could not bear for Clopar to hurt her family for another moment. But Skipper and Kowalski would not let her go, and they took her over the railing with them, into the murky and cold water. They came up coughing, and Isobel still began swimming back towards the ship.

"Isobel!" Skipper's eyes widened. He lunged for her wrist and she instinctively pulled away and raised her other paw to swipe at him. She realized it was only him, and her snarl vanished. Her eyes brimming again with tears, she looked sorrowfully at the ship, a small whimper escaping her, and then she joined Skipper and Kowalski. They swam as fast as they possibly could towards the port. They could nearly feel the tension of the ship that was ready to burst from the explosives. About twenty feet away from the port, Isobel turned her head back to look for any sign of Jack; none. She looked forward again towards the dock. She was now ahead of Skipper and Kowalski. Standing patiently at the edge of the dock were Private and Julien. Private was holding the torch, and Julien was standing there with his arms crossed.

Isobel came to a halt at the dock, and she reached up to grab onto the ledge. She found that she had hardly the strength to reach it. She shut her eyes and tried again, and suddenly she was being pulled up. Isobel's emerald eyes sprang open, and she saw it was Julien who had helped her onto the deck. She was sitting down, sore everywhere. She raised her right eyebrow and tilted her head slightly.

"An unusual thing for you to do." She remarked.

"Well, uh, you're a pretty lady, and you were in need of helping! So I did." Julien straightened back up, arms crossed again.

Isobel smiled and kept her eyebrow raised. "Are you alright? Hit your head on anything?"

Julien rolled his eyes down towards her. "Psh, no, of course not! And since I am a king, I am re-thinking my idea of helping you. Kings do not help peasants."

Isobel continued smiling. "You're not re-thinking it; I know you aren't. In fact…" She nearly started laughing. "You're blushing!"

Julien's mouth dropped in surprise and Private snickered.

"Julien, you are blushing!" Private said.

"Eh, what! I-I am not red in the face whatsoever! Such...such wild accusations!" Julien stammered, making it worse.

Isobel laughed lightly and her beautiful eyes shimmered.

It was then Skipper and Kowalski emerged onto deck, with Jack right behind them.

"Jack!" Isobel said excitedly. She tried to stagger up, but her left side pained her so much she nearly fell over. Kowalski caught her and helped her settle back down.

Jack grinned in his old-style, though it was evident he was hurt as well. He stumbled onto the dock and settled down near his sister.

"Wait just a moment!" Kowalski's eyes went wild. "Where's Rico?"

"Ahm righ' he-ah!" Rico climbed up onto the dock.

"Where'd you go?" Private asked.

"And why hasn't the ship blown up yet?" Skipper raised his brow.

"Oh," Rico said, "Ih will, en ah min." And he quickly explained, in gibberish, that he had to attach another explosive underneath of the ship.

"Everyone, I suggest we get back onto the slope at least to watch the explosion." Kowalski said nervously.

"Right!" Skipper agreed. "Private, you lead the way with the torch. Kowalski, help me carry Jack. And Rico, or Ringtail, whoever...get Isobel."

Rico hastily scooped up Isobel, and he stuck his tongue out at Julien. "Nyeh!" He quickly trotted away from Julien and ahead of Private.

"Rico!" Isobel laughed loudly. "Don't drop me."

"Drop her and I'll drop you!" Julien chased after Rico.

Rico laughed manically and ran around in circles with Isobel.

"Steady." Skipper said as he and Kowalski began to help Jack up. He had looped his arms around their shoulders. They quickly made their way up to the slope with the others.


	63. Chapter 61: Guards of the King

Chapter 61: Guards of the King

Rico set Isobel down at the top of the slope next to Private. Isobel was very exhausted. Julien quickly slid next to her. Isobel let her head drop onto his shoulder, and he winced accidently.

"Is this against your 'kingly policy'?" Isobel managed to ask.

"N-no. Not at all." Julien replied.

"Well, thank you then." Isobel said quietly.

Jack nestled down near his sister's feet, Kowalski and Skipper sitting near him and Rico.

"And let the fireworks begin," Jack said, "In 3…2…1."

BAHOOM.

The first explosion traveled through the water, rippling it and making the ceiling shake and drop bits of old marble. The ship's mast began to crack, and with the second explosion, it burst with the ear-splitting noise of a frozen tree exploding. The fire began at once, and it filled the harbor. The sails fluttered down into the water, and then the figurehead, the once proud and majestwater dragon, fell with an enormous splash. The third and final explosion, a round of classic Chinese fireworks, lit up the harbor in red, blue, and gold. The sparks landed softly on the water's face.

"_C'est magnifique_! That's the right word, right Isobel?" Asked Jack.

"_Oui_, monsieur Starling." Isobel sighed.

"You speak French?" Private asked her.

"Occasionally." Isobel shrugged. "I speak several languages."

Suddenly, they heard people running towards them from the trail behind them.

The penguins leapt up without hesitation, spinning around. Their eyes went wide in surprise and they dropped their fighting stances when they saw who it was.

"Uhm, Isobel?" Kowalski said timidly.

The lemurs all turned their heads. Behind them were several Atlantean warriors, who were also the Guards of the King.

Isobel's eyes shimmered and she smiled. "They are friends," she said in Atlantean, "They came to rescue me."

One of the warriors eyed the penguins uneasily. He was tattooed all over with bluish ink. "That is what we came here for." He spoke in heavily accented English.

"A bit late there, soldier." Skipper said boldly, flippers crossed behind his back, looking proud.

The tattooed warrior narrowed his eyes at Skipper. He walked past him and up to Isobel. "Are you hurt, Princess?"

Isobel raised her left eyebrow sharply. "I am not of royal blood, Kalihl, you know this. And I'm fine, thank you."

"Forgive me, Isobel." Kalihl said. He remembered that nothing made her angrier than to be addressed as royalty, for it was something she was not. "But, I believe you truly are injured." From around his neck, Kalihl removed a necklace that on the end dangled a crystal. He crouched down beside Isobel. Kalihl cupped the crystal in his paws, and the penguins and Julien watched in awe. The crystal began to glow brightly, a luminous white light that imitated a star. Kalihl placed the crystal in Isobel's left paw, and closed her fist around it. She let her eyes shut, and she took a deep breath. The crystal brightened furiously. Places where Isobel was injured, mainly around her left ribs and left wrist, momentarily took on a glossy grayish hue as they healed. Quickly, the crystal's glow simmered down. Isobel opened her fist, and then let her breath out. She opened her eyes and they too had glossed over entirely in grey.

The penguins and Julien's jaws dropped and they gasped audibly. This however did not stun the warriors or Jack.

"Isobel." Jack said her name softly.

This seemed to bring her back, and Isobel shook her head, her eyes returning to normal.

Kalihl sighed. "I do not understand why that happens each time you come in contact with a crystal, Isobel."

"I cannot explain it either." Isobel looked at the crystal in her palm. Its glow showed the tattoo made of invisible ink in the center of her palm. It was intricate lines and shapes that were typical tribal ink of Atlantis.

"H-how did you do that?" Private marveled.

"Surely that is no ordinary salt mineral." Kowalski pulled out his notebook. "I doubt its unique substance is even a part of the Periodic Table! Kalihl, if you would please, can you explain to me, basically the entire everything of that crystal?"

While Kowalski, Private, and Rico were engaged in conversation with Kalihl and the other warriors, Skipper went over to the other lemurs. Isobel was holding the crystal in both paws, igniting it again, this time for Jack. When it was at its brightest, she let it go. The luminescence remained on her paw, and she laid a paw on her brother's chest. The strange grayish hue transferred to where he was injured, and then vanished. He was healed. Isobel smiled in relief. The crystal's glow dimmed greatly until it was nearly out.

"I don't believe in magic." Skipper said quietly.

"It is not magic." Isobel said knowingly. "This crystal is a healing source. It grows from the ground or from the walls of our ancient catacombs. There are many more like it, and they all come from the same original crystal. Well, it is more than a crystal."

"A diamond?" Julien asked. "Diamonds are far more pricey than crystals."

"There are secrets I must keep, never to tell anyone." Isobel replied. "I will only say it is more than any gemstone."

Jack changed the subject immediately. "You should be heading out of here."

"Right." Isobel stood up, the crystal clutched tightly in her fist. "Kalihl, take your men and go into the harbor to check for survivors. If there are any, bring them to my father."

Kalihl took his crystal back from Isobel and led the other warriors down the slope. He turned back for a moment. "Jack, are you going to join us?"

"Of course." Jack said. He leapt up, gave his sister a long hug, and doffed his hat to Skipper. "Farewell, I will see you all again in due time." And he was off down the slope.

"Where to now?" Private asked.

"Home." Isobel looked up.

"You mean, you want to rejoin us at the zoo?" Skipper asked. The others held their breaths.

Isobel smiled a smile that made her eyes sparkle. "It's the best home I've got now."

The others whooped and hollered in joy and surrounded Isobel in a gigantic hug.

"To the surface world!" Skipper announced.


	64. Chapter 62: The Beginning

Chapter 62: The Beginning

Although the crystal had healed Isobel, it – as well as her traumatic day – had sapped her of her energy. It was when they were about to cross over the water that Private noticed and asked if she was all right.

"Yes." She nodded her head slightly.

Julien looked to her, instantly concerned. She had never looked weak to him, but in this moment, he knew she was in need of some help.

"Guys, wait." Kowalski said suddenly.

Isobel's legs nearly gave out, but Julien caught her, scooping her up into his arms.

The other penguins just blinked, but Private grinned broadly. "Aww!"

"Well, I guess that solves that problem." Skipper continued walking.

Private and Kowalski both sensed something was off with Skipper. They looked at each other and shrugged.

Isobel looped her hands around Julien's neck, and so all the way back, through the water and over the slopes, Julien carried her. They reached the park, and an early evening breeze revitalized them. Isobel opened her eyes, looking up at the autumn leaves that were slowly changing from green to gold. She looked at Julien, noticing how the leaves complimented his eyes.

"You didn't have to carry me." She spoke up quietly.

"What are you talking about, you were going to be fainting!" Julien looked at her like she was crazy.

Isobel smiled slightly. "Thank you, then. But you can put me down when you need to."

"Oh yes, because you weigh one thousand pounds." Julien rolled his eyes, a glint of a smile in them.

Isobel laughed, settling her head back on his shoulder. She loved this playfulness that they shared.

When they were back at the zoo, it looked completely untouched, as though it had held its breath awaiting their return.

Julien had not put Isobel down yet, and they were making their way back towards the lemur habitat, parting from the penguins.

The penguins paused before going back to their own habitat.

"Skippa," Private asked, "Is this how all happy stories end?"

Skipper sighed, and allowed himself a miniscule smile as he watched the pair of lemurs before turning away. "Well, young Private, in Isobel's and Julien's case, that's exactly how they begin."

And so began an exciting and adventurous story; just the way Isobel wanted it.

**Well, this was the final chapter. :) But it is not the end! I will be posting a sequel shortly, called We Dream of Our Escape. Thank you so much, treemist, for all of your reviews and support. ^_^ So, any final thoughts and whatnot on this story? **


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